Suna no Kitsune
by KaitanAtreides
Summary: After Haku "kills" Sasuke and the fox comes out to play, Uzumaki Naruto runs away from his precious people as to not endanger them further. Your usual Naruto goes to Suna thing. NaruTema. Rinnegan!Naruto, REVIVED!
1. Leaving it Behind

A/N: Please review! Nobody reviews my other stories! /breaks down crying

And the whole story won't be so angsty.

And I don't own Naruto. A giant duck does, as is evidenced by Sasuke's haircut.

Sasuke lay dead on that cursed bridge, a victim of another bloodline limit of a shinobi more ruthless than the young Uchiha. Naruto had ripped the dome of ice mirrors apart in his rage, and when he returned to his senses he saw the destruction he had caused.

It was true, the villagers were right. He was a menace.

Naruto couldn't stomach this anymore. He didn't want to be the cause of any of his precious people being hurt. He wanted to say goodbye, but he couldn't, and he hoped old man Hokage would understand. Naruto stuck a kunai quivering into the bridge by the fallen Uchiha- one which could be instantly recognized by the low quality- and jumped off, with only the clothes on his back and the contents of his backpack. If you're going to run away, might as well bring all you can. And as almost an afterthought, he had grabbed one of Sasuke's special "Uchiha kunai," as he called them, with a Sharingan symbol on the handle, to remind him why he couldn't go back.

And he left the Demon of the Mist and Sharingan Kakashi to their fight, and he leapt off into the trees, unconsciously running inland.

Hatake Kakashi, jounin of Konoha, sighed. At the bridge, Zabuza had slain most of Gatou's henchmen, Sasuke had revived, and Inari had led the villagers to stand up to their enemy. Inari had cried upon realizing Naruto's absence, and Sasuke was slightly shaken by the absence of the boy who had stopped Haku from killing the two of them, and then Kakashi, and then Tazuna...

Sasuke hefted the poor quality kunai, one of Naruto's that he had found on the bridge.

He spun it once and stowed it in his weapons pouch, thinking, "_Survive and get stronger, dobe. I need someone to help my get stronger. And I want my friend back._" His still-activated Sharingan spun slowly as he considered one of the few genin who did not respect him just because he was an Uchiha.

Kakashi appeared in a swirl of leaves before the Hokage, who looked up from his eternal enemy of paperwork to grin at him. "Kakashi!" the old man started before realizing the presence of the gash across Kakashi's chest. "What happened? Are Naruto and Sasuke alright? Sakura?" spilled out of the old man's mouth without leaving Kakashi a chance to fit in a word edgewise. Hatake Kakashi knew what he had to do. He was a jounin of Konoha, for goodness's sake. He drew himself up to his full height and said stiffly, "Hokage-dono, I am sad to report that while the mission was a success, as of yesterday Genin Uzumaki Naruto is missing in action."


	2. Weirdos in Fire Country

A/N: Hello, please review! And does anyone know a site where I can find a list of jutsus with Japanese names?

And I probably won't ever call shinobi ninjas. They don't wear guis or black, their idea of an "assassination technique" is to slowly make a blob of brightly colored energy around their hand, loudly call out the technique's name as it makes rather loud noises on its own, and then shove it through a person's chest. Those who attack from behind (no honor!) and actually use the tricks of the trade to try and kill people are "dishonorable bad ninjas." Yeah. What are they, samurai? Honor? Pssh. Ninjas are ninjas. And one of their strongest wears a FREAKIN' ORANGE JUMPSUIT!

I don't own Naruto. Seriously. Who told you I did?

Uzumaki Naruto found himself in a small village in the south of Fire Country, doing odd jobs and steadily journeying west. His map showed it to be the nearest shinobi nation and Suna was supposed to be allied to Konoha, which made it not a betrayal in Naruto's weird little mind.

As he continued on his meandering path, he trained almost every day to become stronger, with kage bunshins running up trees and trying to balance on water and the original body did push-ups and sit-ups in the quiet moonlight. He had put on a good bit of muscle since Wave Country; constant exercise and eating food other than ramen- well, when he could get food- and fighting off the occasional bandit kept him in good shape. His hitai-ate was long since stashed away; it wouldn't do to be immediately recognized as a Leaf-nin. He had discarded the orange jacket, shredded from one too many fights; but the swirl patterns on the shoulders he had kept, as something deep down inside him knew that they were special. He had found something to cover up those whisker marks on his cheeks, and altogether Uzumaki Naruto, wandering orphan, was an almost completely different person from Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage-to-be of Konohagakure, the Ninja Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The man he was taking a job for, a retired shinobi, kept giving him strange looks as he organized the massive pile of shiny pointy weaponry into crates and boxes for sale. Kunai over here, shuriken over here, windmill shuriken farther over there, massive unknown object in the "unknowns"

bin, la de da...

After several hours of the man staring strangely at the young boy (somewhere in a hidden underground lair, Orochimaru sneezed) while he sorted weapons, Naruto became fed up with the staring.

"Okay, what are you staring at?"

"Hm? Oh, it talks. You remind of a student Jiraiya-sama once brought through here on a training trip. His hair was the same color as yours, and the same facial structure, too. His name was Minato something. Just thinking, he'd be about old enough to be your mother- I mean father. Whoops. Henge techniques + boys with girly hair = screw me up. What's your father's name, kid?"

"I don't know who my father is. I'm an orphan, remember?"

"Oh yeah, no one with a family takes my jobs. Whoops. Well it seems you're done, so here are your ryo." The strange man handed Naruto a wad of cash and a scroll. Naruto gave the man a strange look. "What's the scroll for?"

"Inside this little scroll is a suitcase of clothes for you. Before you ask how it could possibly fit, it is a shinobi art called sealing..." and as the old man prattled on with his eyes closed and his finger in the air, Naruto easily unsealed the suitcase and was looking through the clothes, isolated phrases of the lecture being given to him floating through but mainly being blocked out. "chakra is the force which..." "handsigns allow you to mould chakra by..." Finally Naruto, having looked through all the clothes, raised a question. "Mister, why did you give me desert clothes?" The ex-shinobi stopped lecturing and opened his eyes to see Naruto having unsealed the suitcase and seen all its contents, judging by how half of them were hanging out of suitcase or were on the floor.

"Whoops." he said, his finger still in the air from his forgotten lecture. Then an almost predatory glint came into his eyes as he looked at Naruto. "You can use chakra?"

"Umm... yeah?"

"Where did you learn? Where where where?"

"Umm.." Naruto thought furiously at this point. "I was helping a genin team that passed through and their sensei showed me! Believe it!"

This appeared to satisfy him for a second, but then he fished around in his vest until he pulled out a square of paper. "This paper... is chakra paper. It is grown from specially treated trees and is used to detect elemental affinities. Before you ask, I shall enlighten you. There are five elements. Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning, and a person has a main affinity to one of these elements which makes it easier to use that kind of jutsus." He handed the paper to Naruto, who looked at the man quizzically.

"Go on, go on! Put your chakra in it!"

"Okay mister..." Naruto channeled his chakra into the offending piece of paper, which immediately split cleanly in two. Naruto grinned. That paper had deserved it.

"A Wind type? Most rare, most rare, a gem in these parts." Suddenly the man was on his knees before him clasping Naruto's hands and looking at him with starry eyes.

"Become my apprentice! I shall teach you the way of the shinobi!"

Naruto hurriedly removed his hands from the strange man's grasp and politely but forcefully refused, having to do this several times before he got his point across.

"If you cannot become my apprentice, at least take these scrolls. They contain tips on chakra control and several wind jutsus."

"Okaythanksbye!"

Naruto sprinted away from the very strange man with his wad of cash in one hand and three scrolls in the other hand.

"What the hell was that?"

Sasuke threw a handful of shuriken before charging in. Sakura, his sparring partner, blocked the three with a kunai before engaging Sasuke in a taijutsu match. Uppercut- blocked. Sakura's roundhouse kick was caught and Sasuke threw her over his shoulder and as Sakura turned upon landing she saw him weaving handsigns. **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu! (Fire Release:Great Fireball Technique!) **Sasuke spewed out a massive fireball**. **Sakura, knowing little but the Academy jutsus, kawarimi'ed with a convenient log. Sasuke, landing and seeing a merrily burning log, started developing a twitch. _Where do all these convenient logs come from? Do they pull them out of trees or something? _His thoughts were cut short by a Sakura jumping out of a tree with a kunai. Sasuke blurred up underneath her and punched her in the stomach, effectively ending the spar.

"Good job Sakura. You've gotten a lot stronger since Wave."

"I still have a long way to go to catch up to you and Naruto. We need to get stronger so we can bring him back."

"Hn."

Kakashi watched from his hiding-place in a tree, eye-smiling as he watched his two remaining pupils.


	3. Sunagakure! Gaara vs Naruto!

Naruto Uzumaki, former Leaf-nin of Konoha (on a technicality) was lost. He had gotten a general direction towards Sunagakure and some extra desert supplies from a Suna chuunin in one of the border villages of Kaze no Kuni. The crossing from Hi no Kuni was easier than Naruto had thought; a simple Henge and he was through. But the sand stretched on endlessly, and he kept telling himself the ramen stand on the horizon was just a mirage. He had to keep going, there was nowhere to stop in this huge expanse of dunes. Then, of course, the Kyuubi had to make himself known.

**Hey stupid.**

_Not now teme fox!_

**If you keep running like this you'll pass out and you most likely won't survive that in these conditions.**

_Got it, will not pass out-_ Naruto pitched forward and fell still.

The Kyuubi raged impotently at its container as Naruto fell into sweet cool darkness.

Sabaku no Temari walked quietly through the desert with her team, lost in her own thoughts. These missions got pretty boring when you just watched your little brother kill seventeen A-rank criminals without breaking a sweat. Sure, she could plan better, but who needed tactics when you had Sabaku no Gaara? Temari was broken out of her reverie by some sort of yellow thing lying in the sand. Upon coming closer, it was the shockingly blonde hair of a young boy, around Gaara's age, lying unconscious in the sand. Temari hurried to him, knelt down and checked his pulse. "Baki-sensei! He's alive, but suffering from heatstroke! We need to get him to Suna!" She picked up the boy easily; he was suprisingly light. Malnutrition. The boy struggled into consciousness for a bit and opened his eyes; the first thing he saw was Temari's face. He smiled, reached a trembling hand up to touch her hair, and said, "Pretty..." before passing out again. For some reason, Temari felt her face heat up. Kankuro chortled before being brained by a large tessen (iron fan for those who don't know). He tried to say something but stared at the fan which had suddenly appeared inches away from his face.

"Don't say anything. Good boy." Somewhere far off, no doubt working on his next evil plan, Tobi sneezed, causing his careful diagrams to all fly onto the floor. "Damn it!" he cursed, lighting them all on fire with Amaterasu. "Now BURN!"

When Naruto awoke, he found himself strapped to a bed with a needle in his arm and a nurse checking some instruments above his head that produced a steady beeping sound. He thrashed about, yelling, "I won't tell you anything, don't torture me, I'm fragile! HELP!"

Temari had gone to check up on the strange boy with the cute whisker marks on his cheeks that she found in the desert. Then she mentally scolded herself for such thoughts. _No! Bad Temari! You don't even know him! _Then she heard the sounds of a scuffle from the room she had been directed to. She stuck her head through the slightly open door to see the boy in his light gray shirt and dark blue pants crouching and dusting off his hands, with the nurse lying in the restraints clearly too shocked to speak. "H-how..." she managed. The boy straightened and said, "You can't keep a ninja down. Unless you have chakra restraining cuffs. Or ramen..." he added, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. Then he turned and ran out the door only to run face first into Temari, who had stepped inside the room. Needless to say, they fell to the floor, and Naruto's face was somewhere... awkward for the older girl.

Naruto had closed his eyes on impact, and he thought, "_Whatever this is is really soft and warm._" He rubbed his cheek along his new pillows only to hear a soft gasp come from somewhere above him. He opened his eyes to be greeted by a view of tanned skin and then like a thunderbolt it hit him where his head was. He shot up and started stammering, "I'm sorry.. sorry... please don't kill me pretty lady!"

Ignoring the compliment, Temari screamed "PERVERT!" and lifted her fan and sprinted after Naruto, who ran away with a very feminine scream. Kankuro saw his sister on the warpath, chasing that blond boy she had found in the desert who happened to currently be running and screaming like a little girl.

Kankuro chuckled; then he turned around and walked down the street, everyone giving him a wide berth. No one wanted to be near the man in the strange black catsuit and face paint and a hairy bundle on his back. Plus, his little brother was Gaara of the Desert, the psychopathic killer who was so powerful he could make the ground under your feet rise up and crush you. Anyway, people stay away from Kankuro.

Naruto hurriedly jumped from rooftop to rooftop, mentally cursing. _Why did I have to piss off that girl on my first day in Suna? _

**Despite the fact she's even cuter when she's angry?**

_damnit! Bad fox! Although I think I'm over Sakura-chan now..._

Occupied by these heavy thoughts on the girl who outclassed Sakura in every respect (plus everyone loves fishnet) Naruto missed a jump and crashed heavily into a roof, gashing his arms as he caught himself on the gutter. When he swung back onto the roof, there was someone waiting for him. A redhead, about his height, standing with arms crossed and a massive gourd of some sort on his back. Dark rings surrounded his green eyes, reminding Naruto of a raccoon.

"Are you here to help me prove my existence?"

**Damnit! It's the Ichibi Jinchuuriki! And I can tell from here he's unstable, must have had a bad sealing job.**

The blonde ninja walked up to Shukaku's container and said smiling, "Hello Ichi. I'm Kyuu."

In Gaara's mind, the Shukaku began thrashing about and wailing, remembering defeats at the Kyuubi's hands long past. Something showed in Gaara's eyes- reluctance? Then he saw the blood and whatever it was disappeared, replaced with a predatory glint.

"Mother wants your blood."

"Who's – Holy shit!" Naruto leapt away from the sand tendril snaking towards his feet. Gaara only smirked, as without him moving, six more leaped out of the sand drifting around his feet. Naruto continued to jump out of the way until one caught his ankle and he fell with a yelp. Immediately sand whipped around him, encasing him in a sphere.

"Sabaku Kyuu."

A block or two away, Temari skidded to a stop, seeing a floating ball of sand. She turned to Kankuro in the street below, also gazing at the floating sphere. "Damnit! That last mission should have satisfied him for at least another week!"

"Yeah, but some poor sucker's done at this point."

Then the ball began to bulge, and Gaara stopped his Sabaku Sousou, interested. Few actually fought back. Then the ball burst and hundreds of blondes spilled out across the rooftops. As one they pointed at Gaara and said, "You're going down, buster!"

A/N: Recommended to listen to Hero by Skillet with this chapter.

Baki turned as he heard Temari's cry of "Baki-sensei!" He turned to see the globe of sand and his face grew sorrowful, until the globe exploded into Naruto's. His eyes widened. _They must be Kage Bunshins, to do that! A Konoha kinjutsu? Who is this boy? _He hurried towards the battle site, already starting the seals for a jutsu the Kazekage had showed him to control Gaara's demon in its early stages. Then something happened which made him veer sharply and run straight towards the Kazekage's tower.

Naruto's clones were mostly dispelled, but as they attacked from all directions, Naruto himself barreled towards the redhead. And as the sand stopped the other attacks, Naruto's massive uppercut struck Gaara, sending the other boy flying upwards. Some of the braver villagers shouted out, "Kill him! Kill the demon!" Naruto's head snapped around, and his face fell, thinking, _Even here? They __know, and hate me, even here?_ Naruto's reaction did not go unnoticed, namely by Baki as he whizzed towards the Kazekage. But Gaara landed with cracks showing across his face, and then sand began to fall away as he laughed maniacally, insanely, as his gourd dissolved into sand and his voice steadily became deeper.

**Ready to die, Kyuubi? You're still trapped in that sad container of yours, and can't help, kukuku...**

Naruto, seeing the destructive power of Gaara's transformation, began to run towards the outside of the village, praying he could get it away from the people. Dodging lashing whips and clumps of sand, he reached the walls. A rather slow chuunin the size of an Akimichi was on the wall patrolling right then, and he said "Stop! Who are you and why are you leaving the village? Do you have the Kazekage's permission?"

"GottagoShukakubye!"

"Huh?" He then turned and saw the partially transformed Sabaku no Gaara laughing demonically as he bounded over the rooftops after the blond boy, who stood hundreds of yards out in the desert, hands together and eyes closed, chakra whipping around him and blowing his hair around. The chubby chuunin waddled away, screaming and waving his arms above his head. Gaara reached the Uzumaki and said,

**Given up, human?**

"I'll never give up! I'll always protect my precious people!"

**Strength comes from fighting for yourself.**

"No!" and with a roar he unleashed "Fuuton: Daitoppa! (Wind Release – Great Breakthrough!) which only pushed the partial Shukaku back on its heels.

**Now you've made me angry! Prepare for the full power of a Bijuu!**

And as it said these words, sand flew up from the ground and surrounded the demonic tanuki, increasing it greatly in size.

**Fuuton: Renkuudan! (Wind Release- Drilling Air Bullet!)**

The massive blast of air leveled an area of sand dunes and sent Naruto bouncing and tumbling across the ground before he finally skidded to a halt.

**How pitiful, Kyuubi. I thought you stronger than that.**

An aura of red chakra seeped out of Naruto and covered him in a cloak of chakra, one red tail swishing behind him. His eyes were now red and slitted and menacing, instead of the happy cerulean blue normally in their place. He roared and bounded forward at the massive tanuki, moving almost faster than the untrained eye could follow. A looping punch was blocked by the sand nearby but the looping chakra claw slipped past to grab the massive leg of sand. Gaara softly murmured a jutsu that put him to sleep on top of the Ichibi's head.

_How in hell do I defeat this thing?_

**Wake up the guy on his head! Do you pay attention to anything?**

But while he spoke to the fox, Shukaku dislodged the chakra claw and batted Naruto away with his tail. Naruto managed to land on all fours and skid backwards, breathing heavily as the red chakra cloak flickered.

**Hah! Tanuki and kitsune matching their wits my ass! You suck!**

Temari cried out "Naruto!" but immediately clapped her hands across her mouth, realizing the Shukaku

had heard.

**Your blood too, it seems.** mused Shukaku as he send a massive blade of wind at its container's sister.

Temari was paralyzed but just before it reached her a red flash crossed her vision and Naruto was in front of her, and a spray of his blood across the ground in front of him, a massive diagonal slash across the boy's torso. It was a miracle he hadn't been cut in half. Then Naruto screamed and fell to his knees, hands covering his eyes. When he rose and looked the curious Ichibi in the eye, it recoiled.

**That eye! Rikudo Sennin! HOW DARE YOU PRESUME TO HIS EYES!**

Naruto was gone in another red flash and stood under the still-reacting tanuki, his palm pressed against the massive beast's belly.

"Shinra Tensei."

The massive form of Shukaku gave one last despairing scream as it was driven high into the air, slowly dissolving as the massive forces of Shinra Tensei acted upon it. Not knowing of the massive power of the jutsu, the shinobi lining the walls thought he had done that with a single punch and gasped. Then the Uzumaki leaped up to strike Gaara clear out of the head of the Ichibi with a single strike. And as they both fell to earth neither had enough energy or chakra to stop their fall and both fell heavily. Naruto began to crawl towards the redhead lying a few feet away.

For the first time in nearly six years, Gaara of the Sand Waterfall was scared. This- this- boy had defeated the full (well, almost) form of a Bijuu and was coming for him.

"Gaara- strength doesn't come from killing from yourself, but from protecting those close to you."

"You - you are like me..."

"You were hated growing up too, but that's no reason to kill innocent people and scare your family. They still love you, Gaara. They're just scared of your anger at everyone. Even jinchuuriki need friends, Gaara."

And as he started to black out, Sabaku no Gaara looked into the purple-ringed eyes of his counterpart and thought "Friends..." and fell into blackness as the Suna shinobi landed all around them.

And Sabaku no Temari just stared at Naruto's blood on the chakra burns from his aura on her hands.


	4. Sabaku Estate

A/N: How'd you guys like the last chapter? More reviews please! And the pairing is now NaruTema.

And I invented the Eroton (Pervy Style) family of jutsu, which includes Sennen Goroshi, Oiroke no Jutsu, Harem no Jutsu,all derived Oiroke no Jutsu techniques and the scariest offensive technique of all: Eroton: Genjutsu: Naked Orochimaru.

As Naruto woke up he saw a white ceiling. Annoyingly white. _Must be a hospital._ He slowly got up and padded to the door. Then an orderly looked up to see him looking lost and offered a small smile. "Excuse me, mister, but the Kazekage asked to see you once you were healed. Which apparently is now. But as a medical question, have you always healed so rapidly?"

"Yeah, as far as I can remember."

"Thank you, and here are your normal clothes. The Kazekage's office is easy to spot."

"Thank you." Uzumaki Naruto changed and strode into the bright sunlight of Suna, eyes half-closed as they had been since he woke up that day.

"Wait a sec. You said someone "fought" with Gaara. That's not how it works. People "get killed by" Gaara. What's going on, Baki?"

"Kazekage-sama, they are coming right now and I believe you should ask them the same question." Then Gaara and Naruto, followed by Temari and Kankuro, entered the office.

"Hundreds of shinobi report seeing the Shukaku released outside the walls this morning, yet this boy is still alive. Does anyone care to explain how a wandering orphan boy defeated the One-Tailed Shukaku? You, boy, what's your name?"

'Uzumaki Naruto." he mumbled, looking down so his eyes could not be seen.

"There are still Uzumakis in this world? I thought we killed them all when we sacked Uzushiogakure."

"You know of my family?"

"You don't? And your hair isn't red, that's a Namikaze blonde. Who were your parents?"

Naruto hung his head, finally whispering, "I don't know." Then his eyes flashed and his head shot up as he said in a dangerously quiet tone, "You killed my relatives?"

"Beside the point. So, Uzumaki-san, how could you defeat the Shukaku?"

"Ummm..." Naruto pulled up his shirt to show the seal and grinned.

_A seal... _ "You are a jinchuuriki then? Which Bijuu do you contain?"

Barely above a whisper "Nine-Tails."

_And these are the same Uzumaki clan which could bring any of the tailed beasts to their knees, as well as Senju Hashirama could... This boy seems more stable than Gaara. Perhaps he will succeed where I failed with Gaara._

"I'm guessing you're from Konoha, judging from the last recorded incident with the fox. The villagers hated you, didn't they." Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "No one here has any history with the fox; you can have friends here. You already know my children. So, Uzumaki Naruto, I name you a genin of Sunagakure. Wear this headband proudly." With this weird little speech, he gave Naruto a Suna hitai-ate. The blond ninja started jumping around the room yelling "NINJA NINJA NINJA!" until a tendril of sand dragged him back. "Wait a second, they're your children?" he said incredulously, his sweeping arm gesture including the Sand Siblings. Kankuro chuckled at the blond's being slow on the uptake. Naruto spun and pointed dramatically at the puppeteer.

"Shut up! At least I don't wear makeup and play with dolls!"

At this Temari cracked up, the corners of Gaara's mouth twitched, and the Yondaime Kazekage leaned back in his chair, letting out a loud guffaw.

"Now that is settled, you need a place to stay."

"He could stay at the Sabaku estate." Gaara interjected. "There are plenty of people he knows and little danger."

"Agreed."

And Naruto found a home in Suna, with eyes still unknown.

KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO

Sasuke and Sakura stood on that fateful bridge that held so many memories for Team 7, or what was left of it. Kakashi was still not there, and it had been two hours since he told them to be there.

"What does Kakashi do when he's supposed to be here?"

"No idea. Sleep?" mentioned the Uchiha.

"If he's sleeping he deserves a wake-up call with an exploding tag."

The dark-haired boy chuckled and added "**Eroton: Sennen Goroshi** (Pervy Style: One Thousand Years of Death), with an exploding tag!" miming the action.

"Maybe he reads Icha Icha?"

"Maybe he lives Icha Icha?"

"... No Sasuke, that's just gross."

"There's no Naruto to make stupid comments anymore. I'm just filling in where he left off."

A silence filled the air as the two remaining members of Team 7 thought of their blond comrade, missing in action. Then of course Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke, waving, "Yo."

"I just talked to the Hokage." Sakura and Sasuke shot each other a look. Not noticing, Kakashi continued. "The Chuunin Exams will be happening in six months (A/N: I added a bit extra to have Naruto get more time in Suna.) and you'll stay as a two man team. Think you guys can swing it?"

Sasuke and Sakura shared a glance and nodded. The pink-haired girl spoke up. "Kakashi-sensei, when we are chuunin we can lead teams, right?" And when the scarecrow nodded, Sakura looked significantly at Sasuke and they both nodded.

_ When we are chuunin we can go search for Naruto._

000000000000000000000000

Uzumaki Naruto came in to the house through the open door behind the Sand Siblings, yawning as he did so. When he realized his surroundings, he his eyes snapped fully open. The house was full of puppets all pointing at the doorway and sand sculptures. Lots of sand. Everywhere in the room.

"Umm.. Gaara? Why is there so much sand?"

Gaara fixed him with an expressionless glare. "How do you think I refill my gourd?"  
"Oh. Heheh, I guess that makes sense," said the blonde, scratching the back of his head nervously.

The stoic redhead turned to his siblings and said, "Who is making dinner tonight?"

Neither one volunteered, so Gaara said, "As there are no volunteers, I shall do it."

Kankuro cut in, "Gaara, last time you cooked, it growled at us and tried to jump off the table. And it was an _omelet_! Then you used a Sabaku Kyuu and Sabaku Souso on it and ordered ramen!"

Naruto giggled at this, the mental image of Gaara crushing an omelet with his sand. Having drawn Gaara's attention thus, Gaara turned to him with a faint smile quirking the corners of his mouth.

"Uzumaki, as it is your first night, you have to make dinner." Naruto's eyes sparkled as he seemed to rise up until the other jinchuuriki added, "No ramen." Then he wilted in on himself and seemed to grow smaller before their eyes until he straightened up again.

"I'll make a really good dinner then! It'll be awesome, 'tebayo!"

"Kitchen is in there, bathrooms are down both hallways, your room is-" Kankuro's eyes seemed to twinkle maliciously- "down there, second on the left, across from Temari's."

Naruto's prankster senses were tingling at that pause, but he dismissed it as he didn't know the Sand Siblings very well. How do you get a prankster in the same house as a homicidal Gaara and a badass sexy sister who could kill you? Then Naruto ran to drop off his stuff and start making dinner.

An hour or so later, Uzumaki Naruto called out, "Dinner's ready!" and they appeared so fast it seemed they must have used Shunshin. "Here we have chicken teriyaki with some chicken fried rice and grilled vegetables. Hope you like it, I found it in a cookbook over-" He waved his arm randomly until he figured out the direction. "-thataway."

The three children of the Kazekage took a bite cautiously. Their faces lit up and they chowed down, happily stuffing their faces. Kankuro said through a mouthful of food, "You're cooking now!" Gaara and Temari nodded emphatically. Well, Temari nodded emphatically, Gaara just looked up and nodded once before turning back to his food. Naruto was surprised. Six kage bunshins and a fat cookbook and he was a master chef! The Sand Siblings, having cleared their plates ridiculously fast, murmured a quick thanks and headed to bed. Naruto headed in also and lay in bed, thinking about how fast things had gone here in Sunagakure. First day, meets a sexy girl (_Bad Naruto!_), fights a giant tanuki demon, has his eyes start hurting randomly, and.. yeah. Then he was interrupted by the bed creaking.

In the other hall, Kankuro was grinning madly as he manipulated the chakra strings attached to his fingers, and, at the other end, to Naruto's bed. Then he pulled on one, and grinned even wider as it gave and he quickly cut the strings and rolled over completely innocuously.

Then the bed beneath Naruto opened, revealing a pit beneath. The bed was a giant puppet! And then it began to chase Naruto around the room, its open mouth swinging maliciously. Naruto ran around his room, dodging, sticking to walls, and such, to escape the killer bed. Eventually, Naruto managed to stick a kunai in its central mechanisms, to where it stopped, leaning over Naruto on two legs. Then the blonde knuckleheaded ninja grabbed a pillow and grumbling headed across the hall to the nearest other person.

Temari was cold. She couldn't seem to find any of her stuffed animals, and the covers were thin. And desert nights got cold. And then, Naruto walked in. "Temari," he began.

"Yeah?"

"Kankuro turned my bed into a puppet that tried to eat me. Can I sleep in here? I don't want to sleep next to it."

"Come over here."

Naruto complied, rather bemused. When he got close, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into bed. Due to his occupant, Naruto was always warm. She ignored his protesting, only muttering, "Shut up, don't do anything perverted and go to sleep." She then grabbed him for use as an oversized teddy bear. Naruto had to admit, this felt nice. Temari was soft and warm and close to him. People never really touched him nicely in Konoha, and he agreed, it was very nice. Ignoring the fox's cry of,

**The kit's getting some! Ooooohhh...**

he fell asleep warm and feeling completely safe for the first time in years.

It was early morning, and Sabaku no Gaara was hungry. He wanted Uzumaki to cook breakfast, and he wasn't in his room, which had the bed all contorted strangely and seeming like it was trying to attack something. So he logically went to Temari's room to see if she'd seen the newcomer this morning. But he was not prepared for what he saw when he opened the door. Uzumaki was in his sister's bed! How dare he? But, he thought, Temari must have agreed as otherwise that strange anti-pervert strength women seemed to possess would have defeated even him. Although they looked very peaceful and content, the two blondes snuggling.

An arm of sand reached out to try and lightly pull away Uzumaki, but as soon as he began to move, Temari grabbed him and pulled him back, snuggling even closer into him, if that was even possible, given how close the two of them were. The arm of sand retracted. Suddenly a flash fell on them and Gaara turned to see Kankuro with a camera taking pictures, with that same evil grin on his face.


	5. Awkward Situations and New Teams

A/N: Got the NaruTema action started and Kankuro's got pictures... now, who to show them to...

Also, I think Naruto will not be placed on Baki's team. He'll be on a normal team, with two OC's, most likely Temari fanboys who'll be rather jealous of him even living closer to her than them. CURSE OF THE STALKER FANBOYS. Poor Temari-chan.

When Naruto slowly came to his senses, he was warmer than he had been in years and his left arm was numb and there was something preventing him from moving it. His head snapped to the left, but his gaze softened when he came to Temari lying on his arm. She was such a badass when fighting or out in the world, but in here she played with stuffed animals. _And me_, he added mentally. Then, as she pulled him in closer again, he turned towards her this time and put his other arm around her waist, which she evidently approved of in her sleep, snuggling into his chest with his head next to hers. Naruto, seeing no rush, allowed himself to drift off to sleep again in this new position, missing the flash from Kankuro's camera.

Kankuro allowed himself another evil grin, placing the photos in his blackmail book. Temari would not want these photos to, say, be posted up all over Suna. Think how embarrassing it would be for pictures of her in bed with a certain blonde newcomer, and clothes strewn over the floor giving impressions of what had happened. What did he want just now? Kankuro leaned back in his patented Evil Mastermind chair and pondered.

When Naruto and Temari woke up very slowly in each other's arms and realized the situation, they shot apart as if scalded, landing on opposite walls, looking at the other. Then they realized the state of undress they both were in. Naruto, looking at her, couldn't keep his eyes on her face and quietly fainted after several seconds. Temari looked down and quickly readjusted her clothing before her eyes were invariably drawn to the boy in her bedroom. Was that shade of hair natural?

After much awkwardness and subdued giggles from the brothers, Naruto and Temari managed to come down the stairs for breakfast, still readjusting their clothing. Temari's hair was coming out of the four ponytails she normally kept it in, Naruto's hair was even more frazzled than usual. Kankuro noted,

"Do you know what this looks like?"

Somehow, in perfect unison, they yelled "SHUT UP KANKURO!"

"Wow, you guys are synchronized. When's the wedding?"

Kankuro was still laughing as a fan knocked him straight towards the closed door, which was opened by Baki immediately before the puppeteer made contact, knocking both of them tumbling out onto the street. Baki got up, leaving Kankuro down for the count. When Baki came through the door, he spoke directly to a Naruto who was stifling giggles.

"Naruto-san, you have assigned to a genin team. You are to report to training ground nine in thirty minutes. Kazekage-sama recommends you do not reveal your new eyes to them. He took a step closer, looking inquisitively at Naruto's eyes.

"Tell me, Naruto-san, can you activate the Rinnegan in your right eye?"

"That's what it's called? Okay." Naruto focused, and when he opened his eyes, both were Rinnegan purple.

"Now deactivate it."

The right eye became blue again and the left eye remained rippled.

"Your left eye is still active. I suggest you hide it in some way." And with this, Baki turned and left.

"Now, how to hide my left eye." Naruto pondered for a bit, not noticing as Temari began to make inroads into his plate. "I know! I'll pull a Kakashi-sensei!" With this inspiration, he pulled his hitai-ate down to cover his left eye, like the copycat-nin did to cover his Sharingan. Then, thinking further, he pulled a black mask out of his bag and put it over the lower half of his face, giggling quietly the entire time. Then he came down and waved to Temari and Gaara as he left. "See ya guys!"

Temari waved back enthusiastically and an arm made of sand waved back at Naruto as he jumped out the door, looking like a mini-me of Kakashi with Minato's hair color (Think kid-Kakashi with yellow hair.) Then Temari pulled Naruto's half-finished plate over to her and began eating. After all, there was no sense in letting delicious food go to waste.

When Naruto arrived leisurely at the training ground, several minutes late, the tall person wearing a headdress turban thingy turned to him angrily, and using the Demonic Big Head no Jutsu taught to all teachers, said, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN GENIN-SAN? WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET AT 8:30! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Got lost on the road of life."

The tall man was practically fuming at this point, but after grinding his teeth angrily, he settled down, saying to the three boys, "Now, tell me about yourselves."

Naruto started, saying simply, "I'm Naruto." Then the teacher gestured for him to go on, and he helpfully added, "Uzumaki Naruto."

The man bit out, "Hobbies. Hopes. Likes and Dislikes. Dreams for the future."

"Oh." Naruto slowly stroked his chin, thinking. "I've got lots of hobbies. Likes...hmmm... Ramen? Dislikes... and I don't feel like sharing my dreams for the future." The other two genin sweatdropped at this introduction, with Naruto eye-smiling at his Kakashi imitation. Then the tall man pointed to the next boy in line.

He excitedly said, "I'm Isamu Taro! My hobbies are watching Temari-sama and drawing pictures of Temari-sama. I like Temari-sama and I dislike Baji-pig! My dreams for the future are marrying Temari-sama and having a big family!" He stuck his tongue out at the other genin, who continued, "I'm Kiyomi Baji. My hobbies are... Temari-sama... My likes are Temari-sama and I dislike Taro. My dreams for the future are marrying Temari-sama."

The teacher then introduced himself as Isago, muttering about fanboys and some weirdo being his team. Then Naruto turned to the two fanboys and asked, "Why do you think Temari-chan would want to marry either of you?"

They both said, "CHAN!?" at the same time. "But, Temari-sama will want to marry me because I am strong and awesome and I love her very much!" said Taro, striking a pose. But before Baji could continue, Naruto doubled over laughing. "What's so funny?" Naruto couldn't answer, being doubled over with laughter. 'WHAT!?"

"I... think... if Temari-chan heard you she would beat you to a pulp with that fan of hers." said Naruto.

"It seems we have a new rival, Baji-kun!"

"Yes, Taro-kun! We must defeat him to prove our worth!" with this, they both charged Naruto, who was still doubled over laughing. But a second or two before they reached him, he clapped his hands together and got out- **Fuuton: Reppushou **(Wind Release- Gale Palm), while still laughing as they were blasted into wooden training posts. Isago, grimacing, stood up and said to all three of them to be at the training ground at eight tomorrow for another genin test. Naruto, grinning, formed a Kage Bunshin and sent it after the man, with enough chakra to make more clones, hide, or beat up the other two again. And then he returned to the Sabaku estate.

When he walked back through the door he had to jump over several puppets stationed in a ring around the doorway. But he was not prepared for what he saw next, Kankuro running around being chased by a Temari in a towel wielding a fan, yelling "PERVERT!" very very loudly. Deciding to save the puppeteer (later he wouldn't be sure why) he jumped in between them and caught Temari around her middle, skidding backwards with the force of her speed until Naruto tripped on a quickly placed chakra string and fell backwards, Sabaku no Temari incidentally falling too. After they managed to speak again, Naruto asked her, "Why are you trying to kill your brother, Temari-chan?" Temari answered quickly, saying "He peeped on me in the shower! That pervert!" From somewhere far off came a faint cry of "SANDCEST!" Temari turned her head and asked, "Naruto-kun, did you hear that? No? Okay then. So Kankuro was peeping and then of course I had to kill or at least maim him."

Naruto wagged a finger at her. "Temari-chan, it's not nice to kill your younger brother. Even if he is a pervert, which is proven by the Icha Icha hidden in one of his puppets, don't kill him."

Kankuro giggled from the corner of the room, and Naruto added, "Just maim him." As Temari nodded, Kankuro's voice cut in. "Do you know what this looks like?" was accompanied by a camera flash. Temari gave a very intelligent "Huh?" before looking down. Then she shot off of Naruto, who shot in the opposite direction until his head hit a wall. Temari had seen that she was straddling the other blonde, pelvises pressed together, and she was wearing nothing but a skimpy towel. She ran quickly up to her room faster than Lee without the weights.

Kankuro developed and printed the picture, giggling as he slotted it into his blackmail book. "Let's see now, what do I have on Naruto," he said to himself while opening his book. "Hmm... him running away from a bed, Naruto snuggling with Temari, Naruto snuggling back... Awww, they're so cute together." Kankuro wiped an imaginary tear form his eye before continuing. "Naruto being straddled by Temari in a skimpy towel. Hmmm, that's a good one." Then he heard conversation outside and he stuck his ear to the crack.

"And both of them were like, 'My hobbies are watching Temari-sama and drawing pictures of Temari-sama! My likes are Temari-sama! My dreams are to grow up and marry Temari-sama!' It seriously sucked."

"So you're saying I have fanboys?"

"Yes! They're a menace!"

"What are their names?"

"Kiyomi Baji and Isamu Taro."

Now Kankuro knew what to do with some of those pictures.

A/N: Hey readers! I won't be able to upload for a week or two because I have summer school finals coming up. That gives you lots of time to review, right? Ja ne! Tell me how you liked this chapter.

-Kaitan Atreides


	6. Training and Fanboys

A/N: Sorry about the long wait. The way I write is just whichever story I get inspiration for, I start writing. But this is my longest story, so I want to write more for the people who subscribed :) Thank you!

And I changed the last chapter a little because I forgot the secondary genin test, like the Bell Test. So instead of going to the tower, the next day will be their other test.

For some strange reason, I've been reading Bleach and I feel like adding Hitsugaya somewhere, Yukigakure most likely... **The Feel Good Drag** by Anberlin.

Naruto woke up the next morning again in the arms of Temari, feeling immensely calm with her warmth next to him. Then he saw the time, and his eyes widened. "Temari-chan! I've gotta go! Will you please let go?" She, being still asleep, murmured as she latched tighter onto his arm.

_Dammit! This is bad! I don't want to disturb her, she's so warm and soft; but I need to get to the training grounds soon!_

So, Naruto not being physically able to do anything mean to the blonde bombshell in bed with him, he decided another route of action was in order. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, hoping against hope he wouldn't get, say, castrated with a rusty spoon for this. As his mind thought of the killer possibilities, he missed the flash of a camera as Temari stirred, and Naruto explained the situation before he left for some quick breakfast, missing the Kankuro behind the door. When Naruto wandered slowly into the training ground, somehow early despite his late start. He crept up behind the two fanboys (echhh!) and listened to them argue.

"No, Temari-sama likes me better obviously!"

"Shut up Taro-pig! No one but your parents could love that face!"

"Even your parents don't love your face, idiot!"

"Your face!"

"No, yours!"

Naruto was thinking,_ What the heck is going on here? Preschool shouting match over the girl I share a bed with? Ehehe, that came out wrong..._

But he was interrupted as Isago appeared in a swirl of sand. "This is a test to see if you can become Genins. This is a test I took from a famous jounin in Konoha, Hatake Kakashi. It is called the 'Bell Test.'" Skilfully ignoring the snort from Naruto, he continued. "Here I have two bells. Your task is to get them from me by noon. If you don't get one, you will go back to the Academy. Come at me with the intent to kill or you won't have a chance." This snort of Naruto's however could not be ignored. He shunshin'd behind Naruto, intending to hold a kunai to his neck and lecture the arrogant masked boy, only to find him several feet away, staring up at the clouds and whistling innocently. Annoyed at having been denied his prey ***ahem*** student, Isago angrily shouted, "BEGIN!" as the two fanboys shot off into the bushes in opposite directions. Naruto just lifted his hand so that his palm pointed at his Jounin-sensei, who was getting a bad feeling about this.

"**Bansho Ten'in.** (Almighty Pull.)" And the bells ripped off of his belt and flew into the boy's hand.

"So do I pass?" he asked innocently, as Isago facepalmed over and over again.

Despite the fact that Naruto was nominally the third member of Isago's team, he abhorred dealing with the other two, so he usually sent a Kage Bunshin to go do the D-Ranks, which were little more than chores, while he trained with the Sand Siblings. Four-way spars were interesting, except when Gaara lifted the entire training ground and closed it into a box like folding up a blanket. The only way to get out of that was Shinra Tensei, and that hurt Temari-chan, so he rarely used it. The Sand Siblings were also the only ones who could give him a challenge while he learned the tricks of the Rinnegan.

Naruto hid behind a rock, trying to mute his chakra signature. Hiding was more difficult in the sand, and they could most always find him. If it was a forest, on the other hand... He was shaken from these thoughts by the whistling of projectiles from behind him. He dove to the left as two kunai embedded themselves in the rock. But then he realized something. Kunai don't usually smell like smoke. "BWAH!" he jumped away from the following explosion, managing to land on his feet quite a bit farther than he had been trying to go. Then, of course, he charged back into the fray, being Naruto. He came across a Karasu with jangling long arms, shooting senbon out of its mouth, but of course, this is Rinnegan Naruto. One quick Shinra Tensei and they and the mass of chakra-controlled wood were thrown away into a farther dune. But immediately afterwards, a cry of **Kamaitachi no Jutsu** (Sickle Weasel Technique!) was heard from behind him and he instinctively spun and crossed his arms in front of him, praying this wouldn't hurt too much. But then the jutsu somehow was absorbed harmlessly into Naruto, who opened his eyes after a second or two of feeling no pain. Then he felt the chakra boost, of a chakra that _tasted_ different, this one tasted... sweet. Then he finally saw Temari, who stood there slackjawed, her fan at her side. Several thoughts ran through his head, finally settling on "I CAN ABSORB CHAKRA! WOOHOO!" At the end of this thought process, he impulsively ran forward and hugged Temari tightly, saying "thankyouthankyouthankyouthan kyou! You're the best, Temari-chan! I can absorb chakra now!" Temari, realizing the implications of this in whatever team Naruto eventually came on, hugged him back and they were happily bouncing around hugging each other, having forgotten completely about the spar. Kankuro came out only to see Naruto and Temari like this, and was thankful he always kept that camera in a pocket of the catsuit.

Gaara watched impassively, arms folded, as his nee-san bounced around hugging Uzumaki. He was slightly miffed that the spar had apparently ended, but at least Temari had found a viable member of the opposite gender who was a good person. Much better than those groping political figures who had to kept from grabbing her breasts and butt by a massive metal fan in their faces, or the Jounins who stuttered and had no idea how to act in the presence of her father and wanted Temari for the prestige and/or bedroom activities. According to a book he had found on human interaction, the fact that boys drooled while looking at his sister in the street meant she was attractive as a viable mate for them. But any of them trying to come closer would be stopped by a shield of sand. No guy who hadn't earned his respect would come near his nee-san. Luckily for Uzumaki, he was in that select group or he would again meet a little thing he liked to call Sabaku Kyu.

In the Kazekage's office...

Isago nodded to the Kazekage. "Team Five reporting mission success. The Wind Daimyo's wife's cat is safe and sound." Three figures came in behind him, two scratched boys and the unmarked figure who he recognized as the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki. But wasn't he playing with his children?

"Congratulations are in order. Here is your money, and you are free for the rest of your day."

The Naruto shouted "Yay!" before puffing into white chakra smoke.

The two boys pressured Isago, asking "What's that movement technique? He uses it a lot, but we can't find out what it is!" The Yondaime Kazekage guffawed, having noticed it quickly. "That was never Naruto. He creates a solid clone to do the missions while he plays with Temari-" the boys' eyes widened comically "-Kankuro, and Gaara."

"We must stop him! Where, Kazekage-sama?"

Stifling his laughter, he directed his daughter's fanboys to training ground 26.

When Taro and Baiji arrived at the edge of training ground, a slight shimmer made itself visible in the air, but the genjutsu-lacking genin did not notice as it warped their reality around them. They 'saw' Temari and Naruto kissing in the middle of the training grounds, moaning as they ran their hands across each other, while Gaara and Kankuro sparred behind them, with the ease of long familiarity with this scene. Panicking, Baiji thought, _this cannot be real! Temari-sama would never leave me for that lazy blonde idiot!_ His distress flared his chakra and he unwittingly dispelled the illusion.

Temari and Naruto sensed the flare and the next time their feet touched the ground, they stopped and turned their heads, their arms still around each other, and that was what Baiji saw as he opened his eyes. This scene was so similar to that from the genjutsu that he still didn't realize it wasn't real.

"You're manipulating Temari-sama into having your way with her! Take this! My ultimate jutsu!" Temari stiffened in Naruto's arms, noticing, on the other hand, how he stayed totally relaxed, gave him a questioning look, which looked to Baiji like her staring into his eyes and not deeming Baiji worthy of notice. Then he finished on the Tiger seal and cried **Minikakyu no Jutsu!** (Mini Fireball Technique!) and blew out flames from his mouth, which formed into a small, head-sized fireball that traveled slowly, almost lazily towards the two blondes. Temari's eyebrows shot up and she began laughing as Naruto's more controlled (unidirectional) Shinra Tensei enlarged it and pushed it back in a sheet of flame at the panicking genin. _He had repelled my ultimate technique? What kind of monster is he? That must have been his strongest jutsu! I must train to win Temari-sama!_

Then the fire reached him and he remembered nothing more except the sight of the two of them laughing through a sheet of flame.

This story was told and retold before they fell asleep together again that night, with smiles on their faces as they lay in each others' arms.


	7. A Little Thing I Call The Warring Demon

A/N: REVIVED! I was kind of in a weird mood after I wrote the beginning of the chapter this one is replacing. So then I got annoyed and pretty much said "screw this" and wrote a crappy ending. Sorry guys! Emotionally Balanced author has returned!

Question: How many stories can I stuff a single OC in?

I don't own Naruto, I do own the storyline and any OC's or original jutsu.

Naruto, doing taijutsu sparring against Gaara (his loss had convinced him he needed something besides sand to fight with) and it was rather trying. Gaara's style wasn't truly taijutsu, per se, but getting hit by a fist made of human and one made of compacted sand still hurt like hell. He paused suddenly and fell to his knees as he received a massive influx of memories from a Kage Bunshin that had gone on a C-Rank with the two idiots, who were still trying to attack him whenever Isago (Naruto steadfastly refused to call him sensei, even Kakashi-sensei had taught them more than he had) turned his back. But he also learned that Kage Bunshin started to mentally unravel after too long out in the sun.

This one had started laughing insanely at random points during the mission and tried to eat all the ramen in the town his mission had taken him to. Then he had made creative use of an **Doton: Doryuuheki **(Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall) to create a mini Hokage Monument (by mini, the clone made one only a story or two tall) with the Shodai snoring, the Nidaime spit-taking, the Sandaime having a nosebleed and a perverted blush, and the Yondaime and Naruto (obviously the next Hokage!) facepalming. Then it made eight others who decided to go make a human pyramid in the town square... at that point, the mission being complete, Isago had **Shunshin no Jutsu**'d all of them (It took several jumps) with him to Suna, where the dizzy clone popped.

While his brain was assimilating this information, Gaara continued with his attack, four balls of hard sand hurtling towards Naruto from behind him, aiming for the back of his neck. The blonde saw it coming at him from the corner of his eye, and he knew he couldn't react fast enough, so he closed his eyes and waited for the impact, emotions running high. When all that came was a soft shower of sand, he cautiously opened his eyes and realized... Something was cautiously turned his head to realize something downright_** screwy**_ had happened. The four balls of sand had been disintegrated by the attacks... of him? Why in the hell did he suddenly have _**six freakin' arms**_?

Gaara, the famed emotionless robot, was standing openmouthed, spar forgotten. Even for the kid who thought something was wrong if there wasn't an assassin that month, your ordinary opponent did not suddenly grow new arms to stop his attacks.

Naruto, however, was amazed, and already experimenting. "Okay, my third left arm feels funny, what happens if I do-" he was cut off by a small explosion at his wrist, sending up a small cloud of smoke that had him coughing and unable to see what had occurred. When it cleared, helped by a large sand fan, he noticed he no longer had a third left hand, but there was no blood or other seemingly adverse effects. Then he looked at the direction his arm had been pointing and also forgot about everything for a split second. There was a fist-sized hole in quite a few tree trunks that he could see completely through, but there was no sign of his hand. "Well that's funny-" Naruto was interrupted again by the hand zooming back through all of the holes to hit his wrist and reattach perfectly. "Woah." was all he had to say, again looking through all the holes. Sabaku no Gaara promptly fainted, and his fellow Jinchuuriki laughed until his sides hurt with laughter, holding them with all six arms, before he passed out, the extra appendages puffing away as he fell unconscious, the Rinnegan closing.

The development of the Asura Path increased Naruto's capabilities drastically, but he was having a slight problem with switching between them. He had set two groups of clones to fight against each other using Rinnegan - specific abilities. One group was composed of individuals, like Naruto usually fought, switching between the two abilities as he could not effectively use them at the same time, but the delay was irking him. The other group, after conferencing, had set themselves in pairs, with one using only the Deva Path's abilities and the other only the Asura Path's. Understandably, this combo destroyed the individuals. So, as Naruto was walking up trees, and his clones dispersed, Naruto had a brainwave.

_What if I have the clones use one ability while I use another? So, say, I take the one furball insists is called the Deva Path and the clones take the Asura Path? That would be cool... And kickass!_

Through trial and error, that day Uzumaki Naruto also unlocked the controlled use of the Preta Path, although his clones got beaten up so easily even when using their powers it wasn't even funny. Even if said opponent was Sabaku no Gaara, a possibly Kage-level ninja, it was kind of sad. So, he would need some other form of vessel... humans would be gross and wrong... animals would never work... some sort of special clone, maybe? A clone that strong would probably need a boatload of chakra in it (not sustainable) or have some sort of... seal thing? Yeah! Like the one on his stomach that kept in furball! So he needed to create some kind of special fuuinjutsu clone. _Hmm, where can I find some seal masters? _

He skipped off to the Kazekage's large round building to ask for a seal master.

"Kazekage-ojisan, is there a seal master in town? I wanna learn seals!"

Luckily, the half-instinctual wave of gold dust stopped before crushing him, accelerated healing or no accelerated healing. _Seals are in the Uzumakis' blood. Looks like it's finally here. Hah! I can get back at that silly fuuinjutsu specialist who's in town right now! Perfect!_

"Uzumaki-san, I believe just the man is in town right now. You should listen for the screams of enraged women and/or the trail of paint, and at the end of it all will be a red-haired man."

This piqued Naruto's interest, and he asked, "What's his name, ojisan?"

He chuckled, answering lightly "Uzumaki Anjin." He watched with a calm smile on his face as all the blood drained from the blonde's face before he disappeared so fast it might have Hiraishin no Jutsu. Then it was the Kazekage's turn to grow pale as he snapped upright, chair crashing to the ground behind him. _FUCK__! How could I have not noticed it earlier? Blonde spiky hair, same bone structure, ridiculous determination to protect others, attraction to girls who are strong and bossy... Damn it's another Namikaze let loose! __FUUUUUUU__!_

**"GET A MEDIC IN HERE WITH UZUMAKI'S MED RECORDS!"**


	8. The Last Uzushio Shinobi

A/N: Hello once again readers! **In case any of you hadn't noticed, the last chapter got replaced. READ THAT FIRST.** Please review, I haven't gotten any in a while. Reviews make the keyboard go faster... And W00T UZUSHIO ROCKS!

One Uzumaki Naruto was on a mission. There was an Uzumaki in town not named Naruto, and by golly he was going to track down his relative and get the full story. He wasn't exactly sure what the full story was or why he was asking, but it seemed like a good thing to ask about. As Kazekage-ojisan had said, there were signs of a prank master in town. From past experience, he recognized the smell of fresh paint, and was that- bacon? And ramen? He hurried onward, moving faster than your average civilian could follow. He followed the paint splotches, dodged a confetti bomb, and continued at breakneck speed down a wide street in Sunagakure no Sato. He was pretty sure he had found his target when he came upon a swarm of angry women dyed different colors chasing after a madly cackling man with spiky red hair dressed all in dark blue with a white swirl on the back of his vest. Naruto's heart jumped at seeing the symbol that had unaccountably been an all of the clothing Hokage-ojiji had gotten him. He shot through the females and tackled the man in a glorified body check, knocking him out of their clutches and over a fence around a training ground.

Unbeknownst to the hyperactive blonde, Team Baki was on a B rank mission, and there was a problem. Baki was fighting a pair of Katon users, while Gaara, famed as "Gaara of the Sand Waterfall," was set upon by ten Suiton users. The remainder were fighting Temari and Kankuro, who stood back to back. "Damn you Tani shinobi!" spat a bloody and cut up Temari. One, a large jounin by the looks of him, leered at Temari's cut up clothing. "Damn that's a fine one. Hey guys, once we knock them out let's have some fun with her, eh?"

Temari and Kankuro cried out in impotent rage and anger as they went into motion, unleashing a hail of cutting wind and poisoned senbon against their attackers, who blocked with simple **Suiton: Suijinheki** 's and **Doton: Doryuheki** 's. Unfortunately for the overconfident shinobi from the Land of Rivers, Gaara had heard all. A cloud a red sand floated around Gaara as he entered the clearing, grinning manically and smelling of blood and death. Behind him, in a separate clearing, one could see the utter devastation he had wrought. Nobody, repeat nobody, touched his nee-chan. They had time for one last despairing scream before they were engulfed in a wave of dripping red sand, and the last thing they saw, fully grown shinobi trained to fight, kill and die, was a boy in red with black rings around his eyes holding out his hand and closing it into a fist, while grinning in an insane manner.

"Sasori's got nothing on your sand," cracked Kankuro.

"Owwww... Who the hell are you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!"

The man's head snapped around faster than a weathervane in a storm and stared at Naruto, sizing him up cautiously. _Uzumaki... Konoha accent... blonde, that's from the dad's side... obnoxiously loud... Very good chance this is Kushina-neechan's kid. One thing I can do to check._

The man removed a scroll from his heavy windbreaker/vest thing and placed it on the ground before placing his hand on it and channeling his chakra. Recognizable as a storage seal, it glowed before a bowl of ramen appeared, steaming, just in front of it. Then Naruto's eyes grew wide and he practically dived on the ramen, barely pulling down his mask before slurping it up at an insane pace.

_That and the whiskers prove it. So here we have Kushina and Minato's son and apparently the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, in Suna for some reason. Well, I'll help him, he's still an Uzumaki. _

"What do you want, kid?"

He leaped up from the empty ramen bowl, mask mysteriously back in place, and stood at attention. "Teach me seals!" he cried, grinning widely before being nailed in the face by a fat book titled Fuuinjutsu and Practical Sealing for Dummies, by an Uzumaki Kaito.

Meanwhile, having been completely forgotten, Isago tapped his foot impatiently, scowling while Taro and Baiji squabbled over their Temari-sama and the cruel genjutsu she must be under to see anything in their third teammate.

"Wait a second, kid. Why is your headband pulled down over one eye?"

This guy's an Uzumaki, he's cool. thought Naruto before pulling it up and staring straight at the man with his rippled purple eye. Blink. Blink. "FRICKIN' RINNEGAN! KUSHINA-CHAN, YOU'RE A GENIUS!"

"Who's Kushina?"

"Your mom."

"No, really."

"Really."

Naruto passed out with a wide smile on his face. Well, that's the guess from how the mask moved. So then, seeing a chance, the shinobi from Uzushiogakure lifted up Naruto's shirt to take a look at the seal. He put his hand on the Eight Symbols Seal and closed his eyes. In a second or two, he found two very familiar sources of chakra. His eyes shot open and he stumbled back, falling on his rear end. "Kushi-nee?" he whispered.

As the next month or so passed, Naruto's Kage Bunshin-induced training proceeded at a slightly ridiculous rate, learning wind manipulation and taijutsu in the mornings with the Sand Siblings and fuuinjutsu in the afternoons with his new relative. Another Kage Bunshin or two went on missions with his absolutely pitiful genin team. Seeing how many clones he had, he set several others to learn kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu 'cause swords were just awesome. Clones kick butt.

Interesting is the fact that he still slept in the same bed as Temari every night to be used as an oversized blonde teddy bear, and this sort of familiarity bled over into the rest of the day. Often when tired after morning training, Kankuro with his camera or Gaara staring impassively would happen upon the two napping in each others' arms on a park bench, or in the lee of a dune, or sometimes in restaurants... Temari was heard to say that her Naruto-kun was an amazing pillow.

Some techniques he learned, created, or improved on were an Uzumaki taijutsu style called White Storm Dragon, full of unpredictable movements and attacking from many angles. He found a way to create wind blades around his hands, somewhat similar to a chakra scalpel used by medic-nins, but it just made his taijutsu more unpredictable and dangerous. Temari essentially jumped him after seeing this bit of wind manipulation in action. He finally learned the Shunshin no Jutsu, formerly known as the poof no jutsu, which he had itching to learn ever since he first met Kakashi-sensei that first day. Some basic wind techniques were added to his arsenal, but not many, as much of his time was devoted to experimenting with his Six Paths.

He and Anjin in action had finally created a seal-based Kage Bunshin that received chakra though a seal on its stomach and was primed to use one ability of the Rinnegan. When not in use, they were seemingly stored in an alternate dimension or something, it all went over Naruto's head. All he knew about the process was that he would perform a slightly altered Kuchiyose and boom he had five special clones ready to use their abilities in battle. He took the Deva Path because Shinra Tensei had to be the awesomest jutsu ever, and Bansho Ten'in was really fun too. But as Anjin-niisan had ordered, Rinnegan was a last resort, he was to stick with normal techniques when he could.

On the other hand, a worrying event had happened during the month. Baiji and Taro, it seemed, had been fed up with this newcomer taking their Temari-sama and took matters into their own hands, assassinating several Kage Bunshin before trying for the real one, sleeping on a bench with Temari at the time. Their killing intent, while small, had awakened Naruto a split second before the kunai landed. He instinctively slapped at the air in front of him, releasing a formless wave of chakra that sent them hurtling back at the genin, striking their legs and knocking them down. After this event, the pair of them were relegated to civilians by the jounin of the village. When Temari was told of what had happened at the dinner table that night, she tackled Naruto and dragged him into her room, closing the door.

There was no sight of him until late the next morning when he stumbled down the stairs missing much of his clothing.

With his genin team being dissolved, Naruto was added to Team Baki, which then became a pair of two-man teams, one jinchuuriki on each. Naruto and (obviously) Temari, and Gaara and Kankuro. This proved interesting, even when Temari interrupted practice to drag Naruto away and out of sight of the rest of the team.

"Aw, come on Temari. Why do you have to interrupt the spar again to jump Naruto?" whined Kankuro, surreptitiously moving the camera-puppet into position.

"Continue practicing, Team Baki-II! We're going to do some special training!" Temari commanded grandiosely, giving the wide foxy grin she had picked from who knows where. The corner of Gaara's mouth twitched as he said in the same monotone, "Uzumaki, my sister needs to be able to walk after this." Kankuro fell over laughing as the crimson-faced blondes disappeared around the corner.


	9. Training or Torture? Ranton comes in!

A/N: Hello and welcome back to Suna no Kitsune! A reviewer told me if I didn't update I'd be hunted down, so I'm typing as fast as I can with school and all. And has anyone looked at the challenge on my profile?

If anyone thinks I'm making Naruto too strong, look at it this way. He is the jinchuuriki of the strongest of the tailed beasts, does Kage Bunshin training, and has the Rinnegan, the strongest of the three doujutsus. And the naturally high life-force and reserves of an Uzumaki on top of that. Boom.

"Anjin-niisan, can you tell me a story about my parents?"

"Sure, kid. Now the setting-" he gestured grandiosely. "Konoha. Many years ago, when your mom and dad were Genin, there was a raid by dastardly shinobi- from Kumogakure! As I already told you, your mom was going to be the previous Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, and she had special chakra that allowed her better control over the beast! For the chance of controlling the mighty Nine-Tails, they kidnapped her from Konoha's high walls and began to escort her to their home in Kumogakure! She began leaving strands of her long, fiery red hair behind her in hopes someone would recognize it and follow her. Only one person managed to pick up on this, a former classmate she had always seen as a wimp. He followed her, rescued her from the dastardly Kumo shinobi, and told her he had always admired her red hair, which she herself had always hated. And having proved himself to be anything but a wimp, she fell in love with him afterwards." he finished, having accentuated the story with hand gestures the entire time.

"Wait a second... so my dad managed to beat up a team of enemy shinobi and rescue the girl as a genin? My dad was a kick-ass shinobi!"

"Speaking of your dad, there's another technique I want you to learn. Here." And he handed Naruto something and began to explain what he wanted him to do with it.

-KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO-

Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, the remains of the latest Team 7, were on a C-class mission of their own. But there was a curse of sorts on whatever team was number 7, in which next to every mission went up a rank due to unforeseen complications. Naruto also had this curse, which explained Wave's jumping up two ranks. So, to summarize, Sakura and Sasuke were fighting a B-class missing-nin from Kusagakure who was skilled in the use of poisons. The poisoned senbon were easily tracked, predicted, and avoided by the Uchiha's Sharingan eyes. Sakura was deflecting them with a kunai and hurling her own senbon and shuriken back, easily dodged and , as the missing-nin was manuevered until his back was to a tree, at which point Sasuke hurled a set of shuriken, which missed on each side of him. "Hah!" mocked the man, "Even for your 'heavenly eyes' you can't hit a target this big!" Then he moved his hands to begin a ninjutsu, only finding his arms were pinned. "Wha- what the!" struggling against the ninja wire binding him to the tree. Sasuke had the end of the wires in his mouth while weaving handseals, as the man's eyes grew wide and his thrashing increased.

"**Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu! **(Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!)" cried Sasuke as white-hot fire streamed down the wires to engulf the man in a maelstrom of annihilating fire, and when he ended, breathing hard, only a blackened corpse was left, except for the head which was still recognizable despite the burn marks and expression of abject horror and unimaginable pain. Then the tree, a clean hole burned through a section of trunk, fell backwards to land with a heavy thump. Sakura's hands glowed green as she hurried forward to heal Sasuke, smiling at her friend.

-SUNAGAKURE NO SATO-

"So you've already got the first jutsu down?" Naruto nodded emphatically. "That shouldn't even be possible." sighed the Uzushio shinobi. "I tried to learn the technique and my version is basically just abusing the poof no jutsu in new and improved ways. Damn blondes." "Well, I got next to nothing left to teach you- wait a second... your swirly-eye of doom can do all five nature transformations, right?"

Naruto, completely fine with his Samsara Eye being called the swirly-eye of doom, nodded again, his relative's happiru-framed face the focus of all his attention.

"Well, can you combine any of them? The Uzumaki have always been able to use the three storm elements, wind, water, and lightning; some of us can combine water and lightning for Ranton jutsu. From what I understand, swirly-eye can give you all five but no combos, but maybe your clan ancestry can help you here. Try channeling water and lightning at the same time, and just use a formless release." A pulse of bright blue-gray chakra faded into the air in front of him, to reveal his relative grinning wolfishly. "Perfect. TRAINING TIME!" he yelled, pouncing on the terrified blonde.

Several hours later, at Team Baki's training grounds, they all were waiting for Naruto to put in an appearance for an announcement they had to hear. Kankuro was fiddling with a photo print in his pocket, as he had a demand to make of Naruto that was best achieved by blackmail. Temari was playing with the wind, making it swirl in different patterns and push or slash random objects nearby. Gaara was, well, standing there, being Gaara. Impassive face and all. This was the scenario into which with a swirl of water a smoking and blackened carcass was deposited. Kankuro yelped, Temari jumped down, and Gaara was, well, being Gaara.

"Hey, Naruto!" called Temari, completely unconcerned by the state of her apparent boyfriend.

No response came from the blackened mass.

Temari sighed and pulled out a small scroll, unsealing a bowl of ramen and placing it in front of the Uzumaki-Namikaze's broken and battered body. With a little push of wind, the steam wafted to his nose and he took a deep, shuddering breath.

"There we go," remarked a content Temari, sitting back into a squat. Kankuro was watching in creeping horror, having read a few too many zombie stories the other day. Gaara was, well, being Gaara. The formerly blonde ninja sat straight up, grabbed the ramen and began shoveling it into his mouth as steam rose from his quickly healing form. In the fifteen seconds the ramen bowl lasted, he had completely healed and was back to being a tanned blonde with whisker marks, albeit in some rather ragged and burnt clothing. Kankuro's eyes were impossibly large, Temari was acting like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and Gaara... I think you know by now.

"Hey guys!" exclaimed the chipper Naruto, completely unaffected by what had happened earlier. Baki facepalmed while Temari gave a small smile and wave, Gaara nodded, and Kankuro was looking for his silver bullets. "So, what'd you want to talk to me about?" he asked, smiling broadly and rubbing the back of his neck.

Baki cleared his throat and continued. "As I was going to say, the Chuunin Exams are approaching, and you four have all been nominated. This year, they are being held in Konoha." As he droned on about the importance of the Chuunin Exams, Kankuro cautiously came up and tapped Naruto's shoulder, half expecting him to disintegrate or something. Almost by reflex, in a flash a glittering dao was in Naruto's hands, with a long chain attached to the pommel and trailing under his sleeve, enhanced in visibly sharp wind chakra. Seallessly he seemingly created a ring in front of his hands of bluish chakra and something that looked like laser bolts shot out from it to converge on Kankuro's form as the sword crashed into his side. When the smoke cleared, there was an utterly shattered puppet lying on the ground, sliced in two, and numerous charred holes struck straight through it. "Heheh... Oops. Anjin-niisan's training has kind of got me on edge." Naruto remarked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as everyone else stared in shock.

A/N: Chuunin Exams incoming! Storm Release is awesome! Can anyone point me to another fic where he has Ranton? Please review and ja ne!

-Kaitan Atreides


	10. Intro to Chuunin Exams

A/N: The Chuunin Exams are here! And will anyone do the challenge on my profile? Pretty please with a Hiraishin kunai on top?

And what do you call an Original Country?

And what special jutsu did Anjin teach Naruto?

A wave of memories washed over Naruto as he came in sight of the massive gates of Konoha, causing him to stumble for a second, thinking of his old home.

_Kill the demon!_

_ Get the demon out of here!_

_ STOP TRYING TO GET A DATE WITH ME NARUTO!_

_ But Naruto is not the demon! He's the Hidden Leaf's Uzumaki Naruto!_

"Snap out of it, whiskers. Reminisce later." whispered the other blonde on his team. "Don't want you marked down as off on the first day." Naruto turned to Temari and smiled thankfully. "Got it. No going crazy until we reach the hotel room." She scoffed with a smile on her face, shaking her head. "Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. What am I to do with you?"

Then Temari began seriously thinking over the possibilities and she had to wipe a small trail of blood from her nose just as they reached the gate.

"Reason for entering Konoha?" asked the half-asleep chuunin with a bandage stretched across his nose for some odd reason.

"Chuunin Exams." stated Gaara in that awesomely deep voice.

The man snapped up and came to attention, accidentally knocking over a bottle of syrup that was on the desk for some odd reason. "Passes?" asked his partner, emerging from the little gatehouse. They displayed their passes, were checked, and then waved inside, just hearing the man ask the next group.

...

...

...

"Does _anyone_ know where the hotel is?"

Uchiha Sasuke and his teammate, Haruno Sakura, were treated to an unusual sight in the streets of Konohagakure. Konohamaru, the grandson of Sarutobi Hiruzen the Sandaime Hokage, was being held off of the ground by a boy in a black catsuit who neither had ever seen in Konoha. A quick glance to their headbands revealed them to be from Sunagakure no Sato, although the red-haired man in what looked like a dark blue flak jacket had a strange happiru-style hitai-ate with only a swirl on it. The hell did that stand for?

Sakura was about to ask the Suna genin, obviously here for the Chuunin Exams Kakashi-sensei had told them about, to drop Konohamaru when another Suna genin punched the one with the face paint, catching the young Sarutobi as he fell. Sasuke took a moment to analyze the newcomer. He wore his Suna hitai-ate slanted over his left eye and a black mask covered his lower face, startlingly similar to Kakashi-sensei's get-up. His hair was as blond and spiky as the Yondaime Hokage's, and he wore another dark blue jacket with a white swirl on it. Protege of the other one in the jacket? Possibly.

Speed impressive. Then instead of a crash or thud as the genin in black landed, there was a curious muffled thump. He looked over to see a red-haired boy with dark circles around his eyes and a large gourd on his back holding out his hand and a massive bed of sand catching the other in his fall. Sand manipulation? Nowhere in even the Uchiha library was there mention of sand techniques. Bloodline perhaps? A worthy opponent to test his skill.

"You there, with the gourd, what's your name?"

"They call me Gaara of the Sand Waterfall."

"What about blondie?"

The blonde boy straightened and looked Sasuke square in the eye as an unreadable expression flickered across his face at the sight of the pair. He watched the dark-haired boy unflinchingly despite the Sharingan now staring back at him. Sasuke stifled a gasp. Now that he could see chakra networks, although less well than the Hyuuga, he could see Konohamaru as a small dim blob, more developed than your average civilian even at his young age. The other two Sand genin, admittedly older than Team 7, had slightly above average reserves. But the two he had called out shone like stars, almost hurting his eyes with the amount of chakra running through their coils. He deactivated his Sharingan under the light, instinctively shielding his eyes.

The blond boy still stared calmly at the Uchiha, unimpressed by the doujutsu being showcased. Quietly he stated "I'm Uzushio." giving the name of his home village a generation removed, his calm expression giving no hint of the turmoil of feelings brought up by seeing his teammates once again. And apparently the bastard survived! Yay!

Inner Sakura held a small scale, with a chibi-Sasuke on one side and a chibi-blondie on the other, comparing the hot newcomer with the teammate she had devoted herself to for years.

Sasuke gave Sakura a hope-filled glance, to which she responded with a almost imperceptible shake of the head. Heck, she only knew everything about some people, not every genin from every country.

She was broken out of her thoughts by Sasuke's declaration of wishing to fight the two in the Chuunin Exams. They nodded quietly before disappearing in the poof no jutsu. Three with a swirl of sand, the other disappeared in a spiral of water. A water type? In a desert? That's... rather... unfortunate. Then his ninjutsu would probably be pretty sucky as a result. _Tell Sasuke-kun_! advised Inner Sakura. _We can help him beat up that Suna kid who's trying to be as cool as Sasuke-kun! Cha!_

Sasuke realized he had never seen the red-haired man he thought was their sensei leave.

Naruto sighed as they shunshined away from the former Team Seven. Kankuro noticed first and asked what was the problem.

"Those were my teammates." explained Naruto.

"You had the Last Uchiha as your _teammate_? Why the hell did you suck so much when you arrive?" The fame of the Uchiha clan had spread far and wide, famed across the continent for their techniques and their Sharingan eyes.

"..."

"Okay, okay, you still beat Gaara after a tailed beast took over his body, but still..."

"Who was your sensei?"

"Kakashi-sensei? I dunno, some lazy jounin?"

"... Hatake Kakashi? The legendary Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye was your sensei and you never told anyone? Geez Naruto, you're more full of surprises every day. Next thing we know, you'll have some sort of super doujutsu that was thought to have died out generations ago and allows you to learn all ninjutsu in the world."

"Eheheh... about that..." grinned the blonde, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Kankuro stared for a second, before a cry of "ARE YOU F—KING SERIOUS!?" rang through the building.

Later, Sasuke asked Kakashi the question that had been on his mind since the Konohamaru Incident: "Kakashi, any idea why there's a Sand genin running around who looks like you and the Yondaime's bastard love child?"

And as Naruto woke up the morning of the Chuunin Exams, he realized his left arm was inned and wouldn't move, and he felt very warm, warmer than he should have. He looked over and saw a head of long sandy blonde hair right next to his own. He grinned at this; Temari had apparently during the night sneaked out of her bed and into his own. Aww... He poked her.

"Temari-chan, wake up."

Poke. Poke.

"Temari-chaaaannn, I can't move my arm..."

Poke. Pokes somewhere else.

She latches onto him tighter, drawing him even closer, if that was possible, in her sleep. Naruto suddenly became aware of how tightly their chests were pressed together and how their legs were entwined, and smiled into her hair. _Admittedly, this is nice, but I need to get up soon._

Poke. Poke.

"Temari-chaaaaannn..."

_Chuunin Exam building; this time around, it's the academy building. Ahhh, memories..._ Temari, Gaara, Kankuro, and "Uzushio" traveled up two flights of stairs to find a crowd of genin in front of a door barred by two older genin. Even through the headband, Naruto's Rinnegan could pick out the use of chakra on their forms, making them non-genin under a henge. _We got a genjutsu here, guys. Who's got a doujutsu here? Neji's team, bushy-brows and pointy objects girl, must have seen it. So why were they going up to the front? Was Neji so arrogant as to not even activate the weird white eye thingy? Geez, dude. Come on._

Then he saw Rock Lee being punched and knew it was a fake. Bushy-brows was insanely strong and fast, although jumpsuits were not cool when they weren't orange. As the two Suna teams quietly watched, the Uchiha loudly called out the genjutsu for everyone, removing the chance of some teams getting weeded out extremely early. They all reached the door and proceeded in, content to watch the byplay. On the inside, however, Naruto was putting names to faces, remembering friends and classmates from another lifetime six months ago, and grinning widely to see them all right and healthy.

He did wince slightly when Ino jumped the bastard, she seriously needed to snap out of that.

Then a genin named Kabuto approached the Leaf genin, claiming to have taken the exam seven times and to have compiled information on all the participants, asking if they would like to know about some others.

"Rock Lee of Konoha and Gaara of Suna."

"You already know their names? That makes it easy. Let's see..." He removed a card and channeled chakra into it. "Rock Lee, of Konoha. Sensei Maito Gai. Strong in Taijutsu, with almost nonexistent Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Teammates are Hyuuga Neji and a girl known only as Tenten."

"Now, Sabaku Gaara of Suna. Sensei Baki. High Ninjutsu, unknown Tai- and Gen- jutsu. Has completed several C-Rank missions and even a B-Rank and has returned from all of them without receiving a scratch." Several jaws hit the floor. "Teammates are his siblings Temari and Kankuro, and... a blank face? I've never seen one of those before." That was, before a sudden force ripped it from his hand and sent it spinning into the hand of the male blond Suna genin. _What the hell was that?_ thought the Rookie Nine, as the doujutsu users activated their bloodlines and Shikamaru suddenly gained an alert expression on his lazy face, although his thoughts ran more along the lines of _That technique would make getting things so much less troublesome!_

The boy eye-smiled, again reminiscent of Kakashi, and wagged a finger.

"Two statements, Kabuto-san. One," and here he paused for dramatic effect, "this is information on competitors who've never taken the exams before, rendering your 'experience' useless."

Several others in the room gained thoughtful expressions at this point. "Two," he was crouched on the desk, level with Kabuto's face, "this is classified information that shouldn't spread beyond its own village." _Damn that's fast_.

"Oh, and by the way I'm the blank face. Hello everyone!" Cheerful again, he eye-smiled and waved to the rest of the class, as Temari facepalmed. Loudly.

"Showoff." she muttered.

Suddenly, with a bang and a poof, a man in a bandana and trenchcoat appeared and shouted, "Alright maggots, shut up and sit down! I'm Morino Ibiki, the proctor to the first exam!"


	11. Exam 2 Part 1

A/N: No one ever does the challenge on my profile! Please honored readers!

Also, how can you get your story into a community? Someone has to know...

**Reclusion** by Anberlin.

"Shut up and sit down, maggots! I'm Morino Ibiki and I'm the proctor for the first exam!"

The chuunin hopefuls scurried to seats, the confrontation with Kabuto still fresh in their minds and not forgotten. Naruto- ahem, "Uzushio"- was sitting between Hyuuga Hinata and Aburame Shino. A group of chuunin proctors filed into the room, carrying stacks of paper.

Ibiki barked, "This is a test. Each team has a total of thirty points, and loses points when they miss a question. Two points are deducted every time you are caught cheating."

"For the Suna Teams Three and Four and Konoha's Team Seven, you have only twenty points to lose, so good luck."

"Any questions, no, begin."

All present bent their heads to their work, and it wasn't long before the vast majority realized they couldn't answer any of the questions. Possible exceptions being Haruno Sakura (total book nerd) and Shikamaru (He's like the fricking Sleeping Dragon) and the Chuunin plants. Naruto smiled at the trickle of sand flowing onto his desk and forming answers spotted by the **Daisan no Me (Third Eye)**. He casually wrote them down and laid his head on the desk, taking a nap as Ibiki proceeded to psyche everyone out with the whole 'tenth question' thing, winnowing out half the participants, and the scars on his head freaking out just about everyone else. Then a massive crash woke up Naruto, who raised his head to see Anko making her grand and dramatic entrance wrapped up in a... was that a tarp?

"Anko, you're early." sighed Ibiki, shaking his head.

"Oh then, keep going!" said Anko happily. "Go ahead and finish your boring lecture!"

"Not now, Anko."

"Okay!" said the Tokubetsu Jonin brightly, turning to survey the partcipants. "42? Geez, Ibiki, you're getting soft. Don't worry, there will be half as many when I'm done! Follow me!" And with that, she jumped out a different window, shattering it too. A stream of genin followed, with an interesting case being that of the Suna genin disappearing in Shunshins.

0

0

0

0

"Hello, everyone, I'm Mitarashi Anko, your second exam proctor for this evening!"

"Today, our venue is the Forest of Death, also known as Training Ground 44!" Several genin gave the forest nervous looks. "So, we have here two kinds of scrolls! Each team will get one scroll, and your mission is to get the other scroll and reach the tower in the middle within five days! Now, everyone, here's waivers to sign."

Kiba was the next to speak up. "Why would we need waivers? Isn't it just a survival test?"

Anko threw a kunai at Kiba, cutting the petrified Inuzuka lightly along one cheek, and she appeared behind him, licking the blood up as the dog-nin shivered. Then a strange Kusa genin appeared holding the kunai in her tongue, returning it to the Mitarashi. "Nope! No limits on how you get the scroll from another team! There will be killing and maiming and death and dismemberment!"

The frightened genin signed the waivers, received scrolls, and went to stand before entry gates. Poor Lee was treated to an interesting sight when Temari stored her scroll. "Neji! Did you see what the Suna kunoichi did with her scroll? That is most unyouthful!"

Hyuuga Neji raised an eyebrow. "What did she do?"

"She stuck the scroll between her b-b-b-b..."

Temari merely raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk gracing her features as she turned away.

0

0

Somewhere in the desert... (Yeah I know this is out of order a little, but my OC has had no screen time)

The Kazekage and company were proceeding to Konohagakure no Sato for the upcoming finals of the Chuunin Exams, taking a tour of several cities and business contacts on the way. They proceeded through the great deserts of the Land of Wind, mostly silent in the heat as Suna ANBU patrolled the perimeter of the group. The Kazekage strolled along in the center, unruffled in his heavy robes, thinking to himself. That annoying seal master more or less tied to his village now was here, also; he had apparently supervised the genin entering the Leaf before inverse summoning himself or some seal shit. But something was off here... Even the ANBU sensed it. The coverage of the surrounding area was increased, covering all four directions, even one or two on flying summons covering the air. But this area felt... strange. Possibly noting the same feeling, the seal master touched two fingers to the ground and closed his eyes. After a split second, his eyes snapped open and he shouted, "RUN!"

Most paused to look at him; that would be their downfall, as madly grinning ninja burst from directly beneath them, strange jagged marks across their bodies, striking down most of the ANBU before they could react, trained as highly as they were. The Uzumaki slapped a seal from his sleeve on the ground just as it began to quake, signaling the arrival of another enemy, but the ground immediately stopped moving and seemed to... dry out? Harden? The Kazekage sprang away, dark rings appearing around his eyes as gold dust erupted around him, impaling a nearby nin through the chest. The strange man with a Sound headband just grinned and pulled himself off of the golden spike, charging again.

While the Kazekage occupied himself with the few around him, his ANBU were struggling against the recipients of the famous Cursed Seals. Their power and survival capabilities were drastically boosted and the sensor-types were nauseous from the vile chakra in the air. The red-haired man was in a crouch, eyes half-closed in concentration as his hands blurred, sending shuriken unerringly into hearts and throats and foreheads of Sound nin, many of which however survived and continued charging. Seeing how the shuriken barrage was being unsuccessful, he stood up and began weaving handseals at a blurring pace, proceeding through Snake, then Tiger, the Dog, then Dragon.

_What technique is that?_ wondered an ANBU who caught sight of the seals. For his distraction, a fist was messily driven through his head, splattering him all over the floor.

Then the man finished, and called out, "**Ranton: Roku Kaiten no Arashi!(Storm Release: Six Revolving Storms)**"

_The what?_

Then six pillars of burning light erupted around him and began to circle him, slowly, but getting faster and faster. Inside, the man was occupied with sealing paper and brushes, carefully inking out a seal. After it finished, he softly placed his hands in a clone handseal and muttered, "Fuuin Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." sixteen copies of the seal faded into existence, and the Uzu-nin allowed himself a brief smile, before a fist bursting with purple chakra emerged from his side.

Uzumaki Anjin, one of the last of his once-great clan, choked, eyes wide, and spat out blood. Deep evil laughter sounded from behind him. Then the man suddenly stilled, and despite the grievous injury, he pulled himself off of the offending fist and spun into a low defensive stance, eyes completely white and a snarl on his face. The man who had made it through his shields was a monster, looking more like a demon than a man, and half of his body was charred and blackened, yet he still smiled, showing fangs. Anjin flickered into a fast taijutsu combo with chakra-enhanced muscles, taking the man to his knees stunned after breaking his guard. A bladed lariat solved that problem. Then, he, too, fell to his knees coughing up blood, the sand before him stained red. Weakly performing a few handseals, he slapped his hand on the ground, hacking out **Kuchiyose no Jutsu.** (Summoning Technique) before a small otter appeared.

"Anjin-chan! What happened?"

"Never mind that, Rakkoutetsu. Can you get the old guy to reverse summon me? Not doing too well here-" he paused to cough up blood- "so, yeah. Please?"

The otter saluted, smiled, and disappeared. Several seconds later, Anjin felt the tug in the back of his mind and gave in to unconsciousness even as he appeared at Tanabota Ford.

0

0

0

-KONOHAGAKURE NO SATO-

Temari and Naruto were leaping from tree to tree in the bright and cheery Forest of Death. Killer spiders- easy, **Kamaitachi(Sickle Weasel Technique)**. Giant slugs- **Fuuton: Daitoppa(Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)**. See? There's a jutsu for everything!

The blondes heard and felt a big pulse of chakra. With an affirmative glance at each other, they dashed off towards it. Then they came across Team Seven under attack by a Kusa genin who wasn't a genin, rather obviously. The Uchiha's best couldn't seem to make a mark, and during one of her speeches about her delightful Sasuke-kun's abilities, a windblown Naruto, courtesy of Temari's fan, slammed a hand encased in wind through the woman. Then the Kusa girl turned into mud and snakes swarmed around Naruto, biting him with venomous fangs, only for him to puff into smoke.

"Kukukuku, who is this?" leered the strange girl/guy. "A Suna genin?" Its voice hardened. "Worthless." And a storm of missiles and snakes headed his way, only to be blown back by a **Fuuton: Daitoppa**, the same attack Orochimaru had made his entrance on. Then the dao strapped to Naruto's back was unsheathed in an instant and the boy was charging. Charging Orochimaru of the Densetsu no Sannin? Only Orochimaru's instincts defended him from the chakra-lengthened blade with impaled the tree he was standing on. Then a cry of **Fuuton: Kakeami! (Wind Release: Cast Net)** made the Hebi Sennin turn right into narrow currents of wind, razor sharp. Another mud clone was lost, it will be missed.

Narrow bolts of Ranton chakra burst from a ring around the Suna genin's hands and sought Orochimaru, who dodged and strolled through all of them, impressed despite himself._ A bloodline limit? Kukukuku... Good thing I have more cursed seals so I may mark this prize too!_

Then a shout of "**Fuuton: Tatsu no Oushigoto! (Wind Release: Great Task of the Dragon)**" interrupted his thoughts by letting a tornado fall out of the sky on his head. A slash-happy wind-chakra tornado. Ouch. Orochimaru resolved to find the elusive second wind-user and get them out in the open. To this end, he summoned a large snake and sent it in the direction the Kakeami had come from, 'cause Tatsu no Oushigoto came from the sky, not its user. Distraction proved crucial yet again as the blonde with the wind-sharpened dao was almost upon him. Orochimaru flipped away, and opening his mouth, spat out his Mandara no Jin (Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes) which all extended Kusanagi blades from their mouths and charged.

_Okay, I think this counts as a last resort._

"SHINRA TENSEI!"


	12. Roachy-chan and Prelims! (Exam 2 Part 2)

A/N: On the subject of reviews...

I am writing a callout to SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan, who has written 9 of our 47 reviews, and I ask thunder18 to come up with an original review for once...

But thank you, all who reviewed. Nobody likes my challenge it seems? /cries in a corner

And yes, I will refer to Orochimaru's bloodline hunting as 'collecting.'

I know there were no Cloud teams in the exams, but I'm making one because a different team is going to have to make it through the forest.

Orochimaru's eyes widened impossibly as he heard that technique name. He had accompanied Pain on a mission once and that technique had fascinated him. _The ability to manipulate gravity? Attractive and repulsive forces? Oooh, the possibilities... This Suna genin? Rinnegan, showing up again? More for my collection!_ Thought the Hebi Sannin. But in the meantime, his **Mandara no Jin **(Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes) was ripped from the ground and desummoned from the power, disappearing in puffs of smoke. Orochimaru was staring blankly at the purple ringed eyes in front of him, drooling slightly. While he was distracted, Naruto took the chance to perform a Kuchiyose and summon his clone friends. _Six.._.

Immediately the Asura Path, the one with six arms and lots of muscles, charged as the Preta Path took up a defensive position in front, Fuujutsu Kyuuin at the ready for whatever ninjutsu the snake might throw his way. Animal Path summoned a massive two-headed dog with Rinnegan eyes, which also attacked. The Human Path and Naraka Path waited in the wings. The Asura Path was immensely strong, (A/N: Hey, it ripped Jiraiya's arm off with basic taijutsu moves.) and Orochimaru was having fun. _Such skill! And to think I only came for the Uchiha and I found this! I love collecting!_

Orochimaru steadily progressed closer, his ridiculously extendable body making it hard for the Paths to predict him. Eventually, a **Sen'ei Tajashu** (Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands) immobilized the Asura Path, poisoning it and immobilizing it, supplemented by a mud clone using **Jagei Jubaku** (Binding Snake Glare Spell) to hold the Asura Path still despite its immense strength. But when Orochimaru was occupied, a combined wind technique (Naruto for power, Temari's fan and control was shape) rivaled by few in strength came in for his neck at astounding speed, slashing everything at neck height cleanly through with little to no resistance. Taken by surprise, the Snake Sannin's head was chopped cleanly off, only for another one to spring from his mouth before the severed head hit the ground. Hoping the valuable Asura Path would be incapacitated or destroyed by the same technique, he turned to the snake-wrapped Asura Path onlt to see three arms waving before the Animal Path summoned it back. Orochimaru, weakened from the body shedding and the fact his current body was nothing exceptional and he couldn't pull out his biggest techniques without calling down ANBU, Shunshin'ed away, turning to look at the shredded area and grin madly._ I could spirit this one away to Sound after the invasion also, and we would have sooo much fun together! Kukukuku... _His evil laugh was interrupted by a disembodied rocket-propelled fist punching him in the face as the seven total blondes from Suna cackled madly.

Naruto got to watch Gaara crush some Rain genin and saw Team Seven come under attack from the Sound ninja under Orochimaru's orders, but Sasuke, having not been marked, was able to drive them off with some trap work and Team Nine's assistance. Well, Lee came to help his youthful blossom Sakura, and Neji and Tenten followed Lee. The two stuck-up doujutsu-wielding pretty boys glared at each other the entire time they were kicking Sound genin around. Yeah.

Naruto and Temari attacked Kabuto's team, as they probably deserved it and were spies or something. Kabuto was left for dead with a massive bleeding gash across his lower torso from the wind-sharpened dao and the chakra-absorbing one had his ass kicked by the whole "weaponry" thing. The other one didn't seem to do anything special and he went down quietly. He was kinda bendy, but Orochimaru was way bendier and stretchier, so it went down mostly unnoticed.

When both Team Baki's arrived at the tower, breaking some speed records for the Forest of Death, they got to sleep. With one of a few small demonic chakra absorber-suppressor seals Anjin had given Baki, Gaara got ten hours before he had to wake up. At that point, the seal puffed away to places unknown, and they came down to an assembly of all who had made it through the forest.

"I am Gekkou Hayate and I * cough cough * will be the proctor for the next stage of the exam. Seeing how * cough * many of you * cough * made it through, we will have to hold a preliminary round before the finals. Will everyone please come down to the arena?"

A computer began whirring through names to settle on:

Uchiha Sasuke vs Tsuchi Kin

Naruto raised an eyebrow. The Sound guys had still made it through after getting their asses kicked by Sasuke and Neji? Maybe they had some skill after all...

"First Match, Uchiha Sasuke vs Tsuchi Kin. * cough * Begin!" and Hayate jumped back, allowing the pair to fight. Kin hurled a handful of senbon at the raven-haired genin, who immediately jumped back, avoiding the needles with his Sharingan. He made his way through some handsigns, launching an abbreviated **Katon: Housenka no Justu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Technique)** at the Sound girl, only to be begin noticing his vision wavering, several copies of the girl coming into view as the faint sound of bells ringing grew louder. "Auditory genjutsu," she gloated, "something your beloved Sharingan can't counter. Now you'll be easily defeated!" Sasuke looked behind him, seeing bells attached to some of the thrown senbon. He blinked once, twice, and slowly stepped backwards. "Hah! Run in fear, Konoha scum!" Then Kin heard a tinkling noise and paused. "Huh?" Sasuke looked up, bored. "I stepped on your bells. Did you need those?" As she paused in shock and confusion, the last loyal Uchiha punched her in the face, instant knockout. As Naruto stopped his recording seal's progress, he winced. "Oto kinda sucks..."

The next set of names came up as

Rock Lee vs Yamaguchi Akira

Naruto scrutinized the Cloud genin as he jumped down to face off against the spandex-wearing wonder. He had no idea what this genin could do. He reactivated the recording seal.

"Rock Lee of Konoha versus Yamaguchi Akira of Kumo. Begin!"

"Yosh! My flames of youth shall prevail!"

"...Wow."

Undeterred by his opponent's 'cool and hip' attitude, Lee charged in, engaging in a quick taijutsu battle with the Cloud shinobi. Lee was obviously stronger at taijutsu, but the other boy was minimizing the damage with economical blocks and dodges. Despite his best efforts, he was knocked twenty feet away by a Konoha Reppuu, bouncing once before sliding to a stop. Lee paused, removing his notebook to see what to do in this situation. He was interrupted by a cry of "**Raiton: Jibanshi! (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder)**", creating many bolts of electricity that danced toward Lee, who dodged them all, a serious expression on his face as he ducked and slid and hopped over the lightning bolts. Then one from behind him grazed his arm, leaving it numb. As Lee shook it to try and gain feeling in his arm again, Akira yelled, "**Raiton: Gian! (Lightning Release: False Darkness)**" and a spear laser thingy of electricity roared out straight for the spandex wonder's head, who only just dodged. He spat out another bolt, and they were running around, with Lee dodging ever-present lightning bolts. But at this point, Maito Gai yelled from the balcony, "Lee! Take them off!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" He leaped to the top of the handseal statue and removed the orange legwarmers. Yamaguchi Akira scoffed audibly and said, "What're a few less pounds going to do?"

Then Lee dropped them, leaving craters in the concrete floor.

"Holy -."

Lee was off like a bullet, a vicious right hook making its way into his luckless opponent's face and sending him flying, thudding heavily against the wall and sliding down. In a sitting position at the base of the wall, he raised insane hooded eyes to his enemy and grinned like one possessed.

"**Time to die, spandex freak.**" stated the mad Kumo genin in a demonic voice. And black chakra wings flared around him.

Lee interjected, "My suit is most youthful!"

And a black blur headed straight for him. All the audience saw at their level of speed was a black blur and a green blur chasing each other around the arena; the only ones who followed were the Hokage, the two Sharingan wielders, the disguised Orochimaru, and several top jonin. The Snake Sannin, in disguise as a Sound jounin, was practically salivating.

"Sensei, what is that?" asked Sakura, pointing to the Cloud genin. Kakashi turned, Sharingan still spinning, and remained silent for a second. "That, Sakura, is most likely a minor chakra demon sealed in Yamaguchi-san. You know tailed beasts?" At Sakura's nod, he continued. "The tailed beasts are really big chakra demons, which are much more volatile and powerful than minor ones. The minor ones still offer a major chakra boost but their pseudo-jinchuuriki don't get nearly as much training, so they will often lose control to the demon in battle and try and kill most nearby people, regardless of side. And that chakra is corrosive, it eats away at anything that doesn't have its own chakra shroud."

The pink-haired girl blanched at this and the copy-cat nin hurried to reassure her. "There are enough strong people here that it would be restrained rather quickly, before it could kill anyone."

A cry from below distracted them from their chakra demon lesson, to see Lee gripping his left wrist with right hand, unsuccessfully attempting to remove it from the corrosive black chakra wing, which was causing his skin to flake away and burn in its grip, and the Cloud pseudo-jinchuuriki giggling softly.

"**Kaimon (Gate of Opening)**, open!"

A/N: Cliffhanger no Jutsu!

Kaitan Chakra Theory Lesson 1- Chakra Types

There is first basic **human chakra**, composed of physical and spiritual energy and regulated by eight gates, which varies in potency i.e. strength. Someone using the same technique with more potent chakra would get a stronger result. Releasing the eight gates would remove limitations on the body but damage the wielder a lot.

There is also **demonic chakra**, usually manifested in jinchuuriki. It is more powerful than human chakra, but prolonged use harms the human's chakra coils, which aren't meant to hold yokai or whatever you want to call it. It manifests in first a basic chakra shroud, surrounding the user and giving them more beastlike attributes, depending on the tailed beast or demon, and increasing strength + speed. Then, for specifically tailed beast chakra, it comes in tails, numerically increasing in power. Then they can reach Version 2 forms, in which the chakra starts forming the body of the bijuu more solidly. It seems to increase healing and regeneration rates when utilized. It is also corrosive. Pros- Potent, increases strength + healing. Cons- User can lose control and emotions become more powerful, especially anger. Damaging after extended period of time (without specialized training). Requires demon. If Bijuu, now a target of Akatsuki.

There is **senjutsu chakra**, which is a balanced mix of natural energy and human chakra. It drastically increases the potency of chakra, so that a Sage Arts version of a technique is much more powerful. It requires drawing in natural energy while perfectly still. Juugo's clan can absorb it while moving. If mixed improperly, the user turns into a stone statue. In some uses, it forms an aura which increases the range of attacks. There are two versions- Toad and Snake.

TOAD-Pros- stronger nin, tai, and genjutsu. Stronger body. Sensor capabilities. Cons- Runs risk of turning into stone. Must prep while perfectly still, can't replenish during combat (time limit).

SNAKE-Pros- increased speed, perception, reflexes. Ninjutsu more powerful. Access to snake anatomy.

Cons- Time limit, must be gathered while still. Turning to stone part unknown.

There is anime and movie-only chakras, like the Gift of the Hermit Group. It is only described as a special chakra which takes much training to master. In my opinion, all of those are most likely special modulations of chakra, similar to a nature transformation, except it creates an altered chakra form, which is then named something unnecessarily weird. Gift of the Hermit Group, Mystic Safety Bell, etc.

Pros- Looks cool, unlocks a gate in the Fire Temple. Cons- What does it do again that normal chakra can't?

**Orochimaru's Cursed Seals** are these little seals that hook themselves into the wearer's chakra system, and besides putting a little Orochimaru in their subconscious, when activated, they switch out the user's chakra for some snakey senjutsu chakra and some of Juugo's clan enzymes, which use natural energy to trigger transformations. The transformations only occur at "Stage Two," however. "Stage One" only supplies a weaker version of a Sage Mode boost, enhancing speed and strength. On the other hand, using it gives one's mental Orochimaru more power, driving them (usually) to madness with extended use. Using it a lot attunes it to the user's body, enhancing its capabilities, but when it is in use, it eats away at the user's own chakra reserves. Pros- Power, wimpy Sage Mode knockoff, transformation. Cons- Drives you insane, steals your chakra, makes you like Orochimaru very much, one in ten survival rate.

I know most of this is probably wrong or weird, but I was looking up stuff for a while to try and figure out how this worked, and this might be handy for someone out there. Review with any changes or comments please!


	13. Prelims

Suna no Kitsune Chapter 13

**Lying From You** by Linkin Park.

Lee's body surged with chakra after unlocking the first gate. The insane Cloud genin's eyes opened impossibly wide, gloating. "Yes! Fight me with your full power! Mwahaha!"

The green spandex boy promptly disappeared, to show up with his fist buried in Akira's spine, sending him flying, where he promptly flapped his chakra wings to spin around and dive at Lee, who was waiting. One swift rising kick later, the demon-possessed genin was flying prone through the air, followed by his green shadow. "**Kage Buyou** (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf)," whispered Lee. The bandages around his hands began to unravel and wrap around the other boy. "**Omote Renge!** (Initial Lotus)" The other boy was pile-driven into the ground spinning rapidly, forming a crater and a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared, neither jumped away. There was a shattered and broken Yamaguchi Akira, shrouded in black chakra, still grinning ear to ear at Lee impaled on his crackling black chakra wing. "**Kyuumon**! (Gate of Healing) Open!" Lee ripped out the chakra wing and leaped away, settling once again in a Goken stance, waiting as a hushed silence descended over the room. Then, the broken genin in the crater breathed his last, and a chilling cry rose to the heavens as a crackling black form broke out of its shattered container, looking around with a hungry, feral expression on its face. It took the form of a black, lightning-imbued winged salamander, ready to kill.

It was universally decided the match was over now and Gai leaped down to collect the exhausted Lee and take him to the infirmary to replenish his flames of youth. Kakashi murmured, "The Inazumachiri... The minor demon which gave rise to the Kuroi Kaminari..." as he formed a shadow clone and leaped into the arena. As black chakra arms kept other jounin at bay, but the one sent against the copy ninja, who along with his clone formed a **Raikiri** (Lightning Cutter) and connected them. "**Raiden!** (Lightning Transmission!)" he cried as the crackling arc of lightning severed the chakra arm with murderous efficiency. Noting the success of this tactic, one Sarutobi hard-pressed by another pair of chakra arms performed the **Hien** (Flying Swallow) on his pair of trench knives and began his attack anew.

The salamander demon roared, the raw chakra forming into a poisonous cloud around it, similar to that produced by Ibuse, the salamander boss summon. With one powerful wing flap, it drove the gas over its opponents, even as it took a deep breath in. As many of the jonin used chakra control techniques to guard their mouths and noses and others simply jumped away, the Inazumachiri breathed out a mighty blue arc of electric sparks, igniting the flammable gas (I don't care if electricity doesn't work like that) in a plume of fire, reminding some who knew him well of Asuma's **Katon: Haisekishou** (Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning). With many jonin nursing wounds or at a decent distance away, the demon turned towards the petrified genin. Seeing the danger, Naruto looked to his girlfriend and partner, nodding once. They stepped forwards, missing the shocked expressions on the faces of many other genin, including Kankuro. Both began forming handseals, with Temari at the end swinging her fan in a great arc as Naruto blew out several slashing currents of wind at different angles. "**Fuuton: Shinku Renpa!** (Wind Release: Vacuum Blast Barrage)" (A/N: Temari's fan is providing extra power instead of the Baku's suction in this collaboration jutsu) and the powerful cutting winds sliced shallowly into the lightning-natured beast. It roared again, in shock and pain, staggering backwards. While Temari kept the beast at bay with powerful buffeting wind jutsus, Naruto began drawing a complex seal array, based on a Six Trigrams Style that had been developed in Uzushio two months before its fall.

The Four Trigrams, while simple and powerful, couldn't accomplish the active sort of seal he was looking for. The Eight Trigrams was realistically too complex, sealing its subject too tightly, and they may have need of a chakra battery in the future. The Six Trigrams, a more active style that could allow for more interactive seals that could be reused, was something Uzushio had dire need of at the time. Its development came too late to save it from the Kiri-Kumo-Suna invasion. Who'da thought that **Suirou no Jutsu **(Water Prison Technique) could be used to transport troops through the whirlpools?

Finally, the seal was finished; Naruto stood, urgently signaling to Temari. The piece of paper loosely held in his left hand contained carefully inked upon it a six-pronged seal of condensed writing with a pair of small gaps between each set of three prongs, with the kanji for 'demon' between them. Temari stepped aside and Naruto held out his hand with the seal facing towards him and uttered two words- "**Bansho Ten'in.**"

The salamander demon soared towards him, to hit the dangerously wide-open seal and be sucked inside, roaring with confusion and rage.

The blonde Rinnegan wielder fell to one knee, panting and fairly shimmering with chakra, as everyone looked on with astonishment. The Hokage's pipe had fallen out of his mouth. He said as an aside to one of the ANBU, "What is Suna feeding its genin these days?" A Wind Mistress, an unknown

Seal Master who also used wind techniques, one who seemed like a puppeteer, and the one with the traditional gourd used by the jinchuuriki of Shukaku? Suna was loaded for bear on this team. All they were lacking was a genjutsu specialist and they could probably take on jounins. Jiraiya would need to find some things out about this team.

Inuzuka Kiba was less quiet. "Holy crap that kid just beat the demon that smacked jounins around with a PIECE OF PAPER! I'm not fighting this guy!"

The Hokage cleared his throat even as medics removed wounded jounin from the shattered arena. The computer whirred again to display, "Yamanaka Ino vs Inuzuka Kiba"

"Woohoo! I get a wimp to fight!"

Ino just cracked her knuckles and glared at the Inuzuka.

"Ino vs Kiba, begin!" stated the largely forgotten Hayate, sword still unsheathed.

"Let's go, Akamaru!" cried Kiba, tossing his partner a small red pill.

"**Juujin Bunshin**! (Beast Human Clone) **Shikyaku no Jutsu**! (Four Legs Technique)"

A pair of animalistic Kibas were crouched around Ino, who removed a pair of senbon from her pouch. Deftly keeping the dog-ninjas at long range, as they spun in again in a **Gatsuuga **(Fang Passing Fang), she speedily performed the **Shintenshin no Jutsu **(Mind Body Switch Technique) on the nearer one, falling flat as she left her body. The one caught in the **Shintenshin** stopped, and a cloud of smoke surrounded it as it morphed into... Akamaru.

Kiba strolled over to the unconscious Ino and put a kunai to her throat, even as the Ino-dog stamped its foot angrily.

"Winner, Kiba Inuzuka!" was called even as Ino blearily sat up. Kiba grinned and pumped his fists as he returned to his team in the upper balcony.

Shikamaru Nara vs. Haruno Sakura

While Sakura was ranting about impressing her Sasuke-kun, Shikamaru, still lying on the ground where he had been thrown, caught her in the **Kagemane no Jutsu** (Shadow Imitation Technique) and sat up suddenly, causing her to bend over sharply, flashing the audience while in Shika's shadow.

Several people turned away respectfully, but Kiba was openly watching and laughing. "Shikamaru, you're my new best friend!"

Sakura was threatened by Shikamaru's offset kunai pouch trick getting her to lift a kunai to her throat, and the Nara was declared the winner over the crimson-faced Haruno.

Hyuuga Neji vs Hyuuga Hinata

An elaborate Jyuuken duel ensued, with Hinata having stepped up her training since the disappearance of her Naruto-kun, but Neji was still a prodigy with unparalleled skill in the Jyuuken for his age among the entire clan. After an even-seeming exchange of speedy Jyuuken strikes, he let one strike of Hinata's reach his heart, dealing a knockout blow. But nothing happened. Neji smirked and lifted Hinata's sleeve up to show red dots down her arm. "During our exchange, I sealed the tenketsu in your arm. You cannot use chakra there anymore."

"So fast..." murmured Kurenai.

As Hinata stared wide-eyed, Neji slammed his open hand viciously into Hinata's chest, knocking her backwards and dealing internal damage. "The Main House," he began, advancing on Hinata, "is weak." Several audience members jerked at this, including a Bird-masked ANBU. "Your loss," landing another vicious chakra-laced strike on the feebly standing Hinata, "was fated before we began this match."

Another palm strike to the shoulder, crippling her arm, "Only one Hyuuga can reach the finals."

A hit to the leg this time. "And of the two of us, I am fated to prevail." Neji's hand, held over a damaged and fallen Hinata, paused, and fell with murderous speed and intent. In a flash the proctor was there, restraining Neji's hand even as another jounin shielded Hinata. "Winner, Hyuuga Neji!" cried Hayate.

_The Hyuuga boy is skilled, his skills in chakra-wielding taijutsu exceed my own. And I don't think he showed all his tricks now..._ thought Naruto as he checked his recording seal.

Tenten vs Kankuro

Tenten immediately opened the fight with a barrage of kunai and shuriken, smoothly dodged by Kankuro. Then more kunai and shuriken, pushing back the Sand boy. Then, Tenten removed a massive mace and chain and began whipping it around her head until it reached blurring speeds, a spiked wrecking-ball of pain and death. Kankuro raced towards her, extra arms unfolding from his torso even as he spat a cloud of purple gas ahead of him, disguising his movements. When it cleared, there was the same mace and chain wrapped around and impaling a log, with a barely-noticeable-as-being-a-puppet Kankuro facing off with a bun-haired girl wielding a naginata. As they fought a high-speed dance of wood and metal, the extra arms slowly pushed back the Weapons Mistress until she was backed against the statue. _I planned on saving this move for the finals... But I need to use it now!_

On top of the statue, Tenten removed the two scrolls from her belt and threw them up in the air, jumping between the spinning scrolls. "**Soushuryuuu!** (Twin Rising Dragons)" Two dragon heads of smoke formed as a high speed barrage of various weapons, some meant to be thrown, some not, raced towards the Kankuro below her. When the impact cloud lessened, a panting Tenten saw only a shattered mass of wood and metal below. "A puppet?.." But her confusion was cut short as the real Kankuro seamlessly grew out of the sand behind her and delivered a hard chop to the back of her neck, catching her before she could fall off of the high statue.

"Winner, Kankuro!"

Shino defeated Kinuta Dosu by... using bugs to eat his arms off. Ouch. Everyone winced at this. Do not get on Shino's bad side.

Temari vs Abumi Zaku

A wind technique battle ensued, with Zaku's one-armed **Zankuuha** (Decapitating Airwaves) losing ground against the **Kamaitachi** Temari had elected to use in the prelims. Until Temari's open fan slapped down his good arm and was leveled at him, and he removed his other arm from his sling. "**Zankuukyokuha!** (Extreme Decapitating Airwaves)" Knowing she couldn't escape from a powerful technique like that from close range, Temari bit her thumb and slid it down the length of her open fan as the airwaves reached her. They were absorbed into the fan, much to Zaku's shock, and she followed this up by swinging her fan back at him, unleashing the combined power of the **Zankuukyokuha** and a **Daikamaitachi** straight into his face. It wasn't pretty.

"Winner, Temari!"

"I really need to learn that," muttered Naruto, famous for being hit by overpowered jutsu.

Akimichi Choji vs Gaara

Choji opened with his Baika no Jutsu (Multi-Size Technique), becoming a large ball that rolled at Gaara. Gaara smiled slightly crazily and made ramps out of sand, letting the spherical Akimichi roll up them, getting air every time. Then, when the Akimichi had rolled to a stop, Gaara tilted his head and asked, "What is in that expanded area?"

Seeing Choji's confusion, Gaara elaborated, "If someone stabbed you, would you pop like a balloon?"

He shook his head no.

Gaara visibly sank. "Awwwww..." The insane smile returned. "I like balloons."

Then a spike of blunted sand pile-drove Choji into a wall, returned him to normal size and unconsciousness. "Winner, Sabaku no Gaara!" Hayate's hand kept straying to his sword hilt.

Uzushio vs Toramoto Tachi

The Cloud genin opened with several demonic illusions, showing skill in the area, with one layered. Naruto instead reversed the genjutsu and the Cloud boy screamed, thrashed, and succumbed to darkness. This seriously unnerved much of the audience. They only saw the Cloud boy go through hand-seals, call out a technique, and the other boy's stance didn't budge, calmly staring at Tachi. Then Tachi began to look frightened, screamed, began to thrash around, and fell unconscious. Throughout this entire time, the other boy remained staring calmly straight ahead. This 'Uzushio' was a dangerous opponent, and no one even knew what he had done. Reversing genjutsu was a skill one only learned if they were exceedingly powerful or a dedicated genjutsu-type.

There was a shocked silence and a smattering of applause as the blonde walked back up to the balcony.

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I lost the computer with my files on it for two weeks- =P

Tell me what you think! Read! Review! Suggestions! And Anjin now has a page on the Naruto Fanon Wiki- please look.

Vale!

-Kaitan Atreides


	14. Finish Prelims- End

Suna no Kitsune Chapter 14

**Stricken** by Disturbed.

I'd like to direct anyone who wishes to look to wiki/Anjin_Uzumaki

On the latest chapters- NOOO NEJI!

ōū

"Would the winners in the first-round matches come down, please?" called Hayate.

Neji Hyūga- a Jūkenpō prodigy of the branch house, with issues about destiny and the main house. Rookie of the Year, Byakugan. Defeated Hinata Hyūga.

Uchiha Sasuke- an Uchiha prodigy wielding the Sharingan. Skilled in Katon jutsu and taijutsu. Issues about older brother. Rookie of the Year. Defeated Kin Tsuchi.

Uzushio- a disguised Uzumaki Naruto representing Suna. Skilled in Fūton jutsu and seals. Kyūbi Jinchūriki. Rinnegan. Defeated Toramoto Tachi.

Aburame Shino- an Aburame wielding their family's kikaichū. Skilled in clan techniques. Defeated Dosu Kinuta.

Inuzuka Kiba- an Inuzuka and his partner Akamaru. Skilled in clan techniques. Defeated Yamanaka Ino.

Nara Shikamaru- a Nara genius. Extremely lazy but skilled in clan techniques. Defeated Haruno Sakura.

Sabaku no Gaara- the Shukaku jinchūriki. Uses sand, son of the Kazekage. Issues about squishing people. Defeated Choji Akimichi.

Temari- Wind Mistress. Practitioner of tessenjutsu and Fūton jutsu, daughter of the Kazekage. Defeated Abumi Zaku.

Kankuro- Puppeteer. Son of the Kazekage. Defeated Tenten.

When all of them were lined up, the Hokage smiled at such a display of talent. Hayate produced a box from somewhere, and asked all of them to pick a slip out of the box.

"Two," said Neji.

"Four," reported Shino.

"One," repeated Kankuro, glancing nervously at Neji.

"Five," drawled Shikamaru.

"Three," reported Naruto, smirking at Shino.

"Six," said Temari.

"Eight," said Sasuke.

"Nine," said Kiba.

"Seven," Gaara smiled.

"Ten," said a voice.

Immediately things ground to a halt as they looked at the nondescript genin. "Who the hell are you?" said Kiba accusingly. He smiled disarmingly, spreading his arms wide. "I'm Daisuke, genin of the Hidden Cloud."

"Then why weren't you in the preliminaries!" shouted half a dozen voices.

"I got a free pass." he shrugged. He shivered slightly at the cold, calculating looks he was getting from four of Suna and Konoha's best- Neji, Sasuke, Gaara, and the one called 'Uzushio,' who had effortlessly defeated his teammate's strongest illusions and sealed his other teammate's demon. For the first time, he wondered if he might be out of his depth. Nah, the other two were weaklings. None could stand in the way of the Hidden Cloud's super-shinobi program.

"You all have a month before the finals, which shall be-

Kankuro vs. Neji

'Uzushio' vs. Shino

Shikamaru vs. Temari

Sasuke vs. Gaara

Kiba vs. Daisuke.

Good luck all of you!"

All of the genin saluted and ran out.

Hmmm... thought Naruto, lazily sitting on the roof, leg swinging gently. _Where's Anjin-niisan? He said he'd be back a few days ago... Probably just making a bacon raid or something. _

_ Now who could I get training from? Kakashi-sensei is off limits; Hokage-jiji shouldn't knpw I'm here; Baki knows almost nothing useful except that Kaze no Yaiba which I don't want to learn. Ah well. Might as well watch my recording seals._

Naruto removed a sheet of paper with a row of identical seals, and jumped towards Suna's hotel room. He leaped and twirled from rooftop to rooftop with his eyes closed, humming merrily and ignoring the strange looks he was getting from civilians and ANBU alike. When he arrived in the room, Naruto unsealed a small screen from a storage scroll Anjin had left behind. Transcribing the recording seal and activating his Rinnegan, Naruto sat back and rewatched the matches.

"Auditory genjutsu? That's a thing?"

"This Lee kid is a taijutsu monster. He's really crazy strong. I don't see any standard chakra in his coils at all. Who is this kid?!"

"These little points are opening and increasing chakra flow? Those must be the eight inner gates. Five at thirteen? That's crazy. Is he an apprentice of Bushy-brows sensei or just part of a team?"

"Do these jounins even realize that they're throwing out their techniques where anyone can see them?"

"And I arrive to save the dayyy-"

Ah, it was good to have yourself kicking ass on video.

Watching Kiba fight Ino, Naruto noticed something off about Ino's fighting- she kept leaving some sort of gap in her taijutsu, as if she was expecting something to be extending her reach- a sword? Since when did Ino use some sort of blade often enough for it to be an integral part of her fighting style? That was something that bore closer examination.

Inuzuka jutsu were really just brute-force, and with only one of them, their techniques would be easy to counter. Did they have any clan summons, perhaps? And how did they maintain a solid transformation without a crapload of chakra?

Shika, so lazy. Sakura is really still so weak? He felt a saddening, a heaviness in his heart. Sakura hadn't seemed to have changed at all after his disappearance, as if she didn't even care that one of her teammates had disappeared in the middle of an A-Rank mission? Even as he began to feel depressed, he noticed something in Sakura's chakra. It was molding repeated genjutsus over herself even as she ranted and was caught? He was sure he hadn't seen handseals being formed the first time around. Rewind-rewatch. A sealless genjutsu to start it off, to conceal the next handseals- inventive. But sealless genjutsu were a thing? Again, Naruto's knowledge of genjutsu was severely lacking. But think how much that would screw with an opponent- if say every time you hit someone, it was just an illusion and they passed through it? Then people would think you were intangible... hmm...that was an idea...

_Well, I should work on **that** technique. _Naruto collected a handful of kunai and disappeared in a spiral of water to the Forest of Death, the one place he could practice undisturbed.

Upon arrival, he casually leaped the fence, aided with a little push of wind chakra, and floated gently to the ground on the other side before making his way into the forest. Stopping in a clearing, he hurled the kunai around him, until he was in a circle of kunai that would make any Iwa-nin piss their pants. Molding his chakra, he mentally envisioned the small tags wrapped around the kunai.

Sasuke and Sakura found Kakashi, once more at the memorial stone. "Kakashi," started the Uchiha, still disdaining honorifics. "We think the Suna genin, the blonde one, is Naruto."

Kakashi stopped slouching and stood up a little straighter. "Spiky hair, mask and headband like me?"

"Mhmm." nodded Sakura.

"He moved differently than Naruto did, but then again, he was a bit of a klutz before. Probably some intense training with someone on his own time."

Sleeping in Tanabota Ford, Anjin sneezed in his sleep and rolled over.

"If the prelims were any indication, he's a lot stronger now. And he fought off that creepy snake pedophile in the forest."

"He drove off Orochimaru?! Even with Orochimaru trying not to attract attention or kill his victims/little boys, he's still an A-rank."

Naruto sneezed even as he appeared in the air, falling ungracefully to the ground. "Wonder who's talking about me..." Shaking his head, he returned to glaring at the innocent kunai, the little yellow tags frustrating him.

A/N:

I have no excuses for the extremely long time since the last update. I'm running out of ideas and motivation for this story and anyone who wishes may pick up the story and continue, unless there is an overwhelming response to have me continue. Thank you everyone who read and reviewed this story, you guys make my day.

This is Kaitan Atreides, signing off for what may be the last time.


End file.
